[.amretasgraphics.blog.]

Last post on this blog. I'm moving!

2011-09-03T07:02:00.001+07:00

Hello all... time for a new life for me on the www :o) I'm revamping Amretasgraphics hence a new blog is created with a brand new newsletter subscription and I'm ready to take off with more structured contents.
From now on, change your bookmark to www.amretasgraphicsblog.com

See you there! :o)

My Thank You Book link is corrected

2011-08-18T16:35:00.000+07:00

Hurray!

The link to download MY THANK YOU BOOK is now corrected! :-)

Just click the link(s) and enjoy! It's here ...

Find this post a good news? Do share it with your friends and give them a graphicalicious treat using the share buttons on the post-footer below :o) sweet thanks!

Starting over....

2011-08-15T00:49:00.000+07:00

Here you'll find out why almost all download links in this blog do not work, why I will have to start over and the Plan B on how my new graphics will be published.

So here's the story....

The day after I published my last blog post, I got several emails reporting that they could not download the graphics from the download links I provided in the goodiebag email (new subscribers), and a colleague of mine said she didn't manage to download My Thank You Book...

Oh dear, this had never happened before...I thought it would only a temporary server problem or something, until in the evening when it was my schedule to upload the new graphics as planned...I COULDN'T EVEN ACCESS MY OPENDRIVE ACCOUNT!!

That was such a pain! I was in the middle of my excitement of having new artwork ready. After so many attempts which resulted in "access denied", I emailed the support dept at OpenDrive and the next day I got their reply, giving me a new password to login.

Strange, huh? I didn't request a new password. Was there somebody trying to access my account? I have no idea. OpenDrive.com didn't answer my question, they just gave me a new password and reset my account.

So finally I managed to access my account again. And I thought all the download links were restored.

Wrong!

My colleague still couldn't download My Thank You Book. I couldn't either. I still couldn't download all the PDFs and Zips files stored in my OpenDrive account. My new subscribers still couldn't download the graphics in the goodiebag...even if my account was already reactivated.

I checked again the files in my OpenDrive account...they were all there, in the same folders. How come that the download links didn't work? Then I noticed... since the account had been reset...the URLs changed!!

Oj!!!!

Which means, I would have to change ALL the incorrect links in the blog. Well, I thought, probably it is a sign I had to change everything and just start over? And I thought, again, it's good that I know about this OpenDrive resetting now than later when I already have sooo many links with my graphics.

OK, now the problem's figured out. Next step is finding the easiest way to restore the links and to display my new graphics.

Then I thought it would just be easier if I start over with new fresh contents and so I transferred the existing contents to my old blog. And to minimize the zip files, I will just display my new graphics (free version) on the blog.

Okay we'll see! I hope I can start very soon :-)

Find this post a good news? Do share it with your friends and give them a graphicalicious treat using the share buttons on the post-footer below :o) sweet thanks!

Graphicalicious diary: the whimsy woodland fairy school

2011-08-06T18:14:00.000+07:00

A little reminder of what's soon coming to Amretagraphics! : a bunch of cute fairies in coooolorful fairy dresses. They can be a bunch of happy classmates at a fairy school, right? So last night while I finished the last basics of these webset, the Whimsy Woodland Fairy School at Amretasgraphics was born.

Oh dear, I thought, now I have the whole whimsy woodland as my graphicalicious playground. Yippii! And today, besides the previously published graphics (I'm putting together all my existing autumn graphics as one set now) I have finished drawing 25 fairy characters, various dresses, hats and shoes, based on these background tiles (the dotted tiles are from my previously published decoflora set).

It's typically me, you know. I really have to limit the color palette otherwise the variations of the graphics would grow uncontrollably, and the set would never be finished :o)

Even with those 10 color themes above, I could make more than one hundred elements for dresses and other accessories.You can imagine the variations...

Anyhow, I will have to publish what's ready tomorrow or Monday at the latest, depending on the internet connection (as I might wrote earlier, I still have no stable internet connection at home, so I'm moving places...for my heart's delight, too! :o))

And there are always happening at the whimsy woodland, no? *wink*. So, our little friends at the fairy school will be very happy to help out. As I have promised you earlier in my previous post I will use this blog as a diary to report the progress made on my drawing board. Now, I will say: the progress and what's up in Whimsy Woodland :o)

(besides the fairies, my fuzzycuddly kindhearted bears, puppies and bunnies that some of you already know from before will be residents of the whimsy woodland, too! no worry, they will join soon. And the little girls and boys will also come to the woodland as well when it's time to play).

Do you have any great idea, question about the whimsy woodland or request? Please post them in the comment box below, or in my Facebook Page.

Find this post a good news? Do share it with your friends and give them a graphicalicious treat using the share buttons on the post-footer below :o) sweet thanks!

Birthday Thank You! and New Plan for the Blog

2011-08-04T17:50:00.000+07:00

Hello all!

What a lovely, amazing feeling to read all your 'birthday wishes' that came to this blog, my facebook pages and emails! Thank you sooo much! They all made my day!

And guess what, I took a break after writing the birthday post, and yesterday, too. And I feel so good now. Fresh and more motivated :-) I do think that giving myself a break is really a good treat. You know I work full time on weekdays, and mostly work on my graphics on weekends and in the evening after work. And so if I take a break from my fulltime job on weekend, it's just so fair to take a break (and recharge!) from my graphics on weekdays! *LOL*

During the break, I couldn't help but pondering how my 11 years online have been. It wasn't an easy route, but most of all everything in it has brought me joy. And lovely friendships. And a lot of lessons.

If there is something I regret, it's that I realised I never really took note of how I created my graphics. Some of my earlier work has been gone with two server crashes, and the physical journals I wrote in are also gone with the big floods...especially the one in 2007 when the water reached 2m high in our place, and I didn't have the chance to save many of my belongings.

Now that I kinda want to start (almost) all over again with my site and blogs, I see a great potential for this blog as a tool and place to chronicle my 'endeavor', my 'trial-and-error' on creating graphics and www, thus it will make it easier for you who might be curious about how I created my artwork, my blogs, etc... I've received emails asking me these questions and I felt so bad that I didn't always have the time to answer. Now hopefully with my plan to chronicle what I call my "graphicalicious journey" on this blog, it would help!

That's why I'm happy about my previous decision about 'recycling' my existing graphics and start all anew. I hope you, too. Besides publishing the updates, the plan is to also to write around those graphics my inspirations, actions taken, and lessons learned.

PS..PS...I'd like to warn you, though, that what you'll read here about me creating graphics is a self-taught thing.

You might know a more efficient and easier way of drawing graphics your style, so here my intention is rather sharing what I know and what I do on my artwork, chronicling what I learn day by day. See if that could serve as inspiration to others too :o)

PSS..PSS...the picture you see above is a sneak-peek of the first update this coming weekend :o) See you soon!

Amretasgraphics 11th Birthday!!!

2011-08-01T01:53:00.000+07:00

TODAY is Amretasgraphics' 11th birthday! Yippiiii! It's a celebration!!

And as you will see .. the website, the shop, the artwork and the blog are in the process of being totally "recycled".

Bit by bit. Since I can only work on my graphics on weekends and in my sparetime, that's how the site, the shop and the blog will be updated.

I'm so glad to say I've made a plan for the next 52 weeks! Yay! :o) 52 weeks of graphicalicious updates! And hopefully my 4 year-old dearest only laptop will behave well so the plan can run smoothly *knock on the wood* (yes it run into some troubles lately - so I'm determined to run the shop extremely seriously this time - so that I can get extra income especially to buy a new computer with more powerful and updated programs) *wish that for me!* :o)

The 'recycled' materials (updated with new, blogging-related stuff) and the new graphic kits, photobooks, etc will be added weekend-ly, so you can have a reason to come back and visit me at least every week! :D

So voila the update for today. I'm celebrating Amretasgraphics' birthday now, doing the first updates + sipping my favorite green tea with lemon (my absolute favorite!).

PS: attention members: you will get the link and password to access the 'secret page' in about a week from now through the mailing list (you can subscribe if you haven't done so), and you will get with the first week update: the first "recycled" web+blog sets, my ever growing tile collection and one of the graphic kits. Yummy, no? *wink*

Like this news? Do share it with your friends and give them a graphic goodness happy good news using the share buttons on the post-footer below :o) sweet thanks!

Sweet surprise! Sneak peek number 2

2011-07-15T22:21:00.000+07:00

Oh, this is going to be a sweet sneak-peek surprise...

Ready?

Here's the little background: 11 years ago I started my joyful trial-and-error, drawing my own graphics and published them for my heart's delight. The happiness poured in as I made so many wonderful friends over the internet, thanks to my artwork :D

During those years, there were some down-moments as well, when my free-to-use graphics were misused, resold, etc, all those heartbreaking stuff. Thanksfully I still have a lot of friends who encouraged me (You!) and so I decided to keep staying online and to have my graphics protected.

Now, I want to bring back those happy moments to celebrate my 11 years online (duh :o)) at the same time, still protecting my artwork and getting sweet extra income to support my creativity. How? I was thinking thinking and thinking.

And here's probably a solution which will make everyone, including me, happy :o) At least for now, and probably over time we'll see if this works...

My graphics will be F.R.E.E. to use, again!

However, they will be kept in a secret treasure online cave :o) so membership is required. Really, F.R.E.E.? Yes, you will find the details in the new Term of Use. It's free, but there are also some limitations. With the free membership you will have the access to my graphics and use them "as is". All that is required is a proper credit with a link back to amretasgraphics.com on the page where the graphics are used. And would you create a good karma? I will have some badges, and it would be appreciated if you put one of them on your website or blog, spread the happiness and tell all your friends about these free treats... ;-)

You do not want to display a link back? It's okay, but you need to buy a no-link-back licence. I haven't decided on the price nor the details but you will find them on the website when the shop is ready on 1 August.

So what if you are already a paying member?

Paying membership will give you the rights to alter the graphics to suit your need, and you will be able ask my assistance to make the alteration, too. Paying membership will also give you access to my other works (such as My Thank You Books, etc) + special discounted price when you order a customised version.

Otherwise you can also pay per alteration / set.

You have a little business and want to use my artwork to create items to sell? You can purchase the little biz licence. Web / blog designers fall into this category, too.

More details are coming soon! In the meantime, I'm still working hard preparing everything for the grand relaunching on 1 August :o)

If you haven't joined my mailing list, please do so. You will be the first to know about all the new fun stuff (+ the secret password to enter the protected page with links to the delightful downloads!).

And if you have any thoughts or bright ideas... do not hesitate to leave a comment on the box below, or on my facebook page... because I LOVE feedback and comments!

Talk to you again soon my friends! And enjoy a lovely weekend!

Like this sneakpeek? Do share this post with your friends using the share buttons on the post-footer below :o) sweet thanks!

Where is Amretasgraphics? :o) Sneak-Peek Series no. 1

2011-07-06T17:24:00.000+07:00

Oh yes, right, where exactly am I?

Did I tell you over and over and over again that I was preparing the relaunch of Amretasgraphics Shop... now it's planned on 1 August which is Amretasgraphics' 11 years online! Trumpet and confetti please!

I got goosebumps!*

Is it already that long? Really?

Well, some of you are so very curious already what 'surprises' I'm cooking right now 'behind the screen'...

So here comes a ’sneak-peek series’ to what I’m working on. There will be quite significant changes on the new amretasgraphics.com, so bit by bit you will get a taste to what I will offer in the new and revamped site.

You see when possible you’ll find some visual hints as well…cool changes I hope :o)

Let’s start with Sneak-Peek Series number 01:

Hint no. 1: picture above. Notice something different from my usual graphics?

Some of you might have known me these past 10 years through my mouse drawn country graphics. So this time I need to make a confession…*taking a breath* …actually I also create abstract artwork, I draw sketches on paper, doodle on my journals, make collages and play with layouts.

I wasn’t that confident though, to bring them online. Possibly I just wanted to focus on ‘being known’ as a country graphic artist. But, hey, things happen and possibly it’s time!

I went around Etsy.com lately. And I found so many handmade inspirations as well as small business and blogging advices. I came across lovely sites and blogs offering creative insights and voilà!

Finally decided.

Changes no. 1:

the new amretasgraphics.com will come in several ‘styles’:

a. country graphics (they’re getting bigger too!!)

b. abstract artwork (also consists of web graphics, prints, blog set, etc., basically the same as my country graphics only in different style)

c. project layouts (blog sets, photobooks, ebooks and zines layouts) in country, abstract and a bit of little-biz styles (or mix of styles)

So…

That’s the sneak-peek for today. I hope it answers your curiousity why I’ve been so quiet lately :o) I’m coming back with sneak-peak number 2 in two or three days from now, there are more suprises I promise you!

In the meantime, if you have any thoughts or ideas or question…leave them on the comment box below….because of course I’m interested to know ;-)

Talk to you again soon, stay tune!

Like this news? Do share it with your friends and give them a graphic goodness treat using the share buttons on the post-footer below :o) sweet thanks!

Amretasgraphics Blogzine issue 04 - June 2011

2011-06-20T20:18:00.000+07:00

Open publication - Free publishing - More amreta

Amretasgraphics Blogzine is BACK! Yippeee!!!

How wonderful it feels that finally it’s up online again, as colourful as the previous three issues, plus happy, tweaked contents! For this issue I’m so excited to be able to team up with four inspiring ladies across the oceans from where I live in Indonesia...Emmanuelle in Belgium, Natasha and Robyn in the US, and Petrea in Canada .... Isn’t it fantastic, the lovely internet world? :-)

I hope what you find here will help you get inspired, get energized, get creative, get ahead, and love your life! I appreciate very very much your support and participation to keep this blogzine up.

Everyone is welcome! If you’re interested in taking part in the next blogzines, I already have it up on the last page of the blogzine. I will also post it soon in this blog. It’s a chance to be our guestblogger, to share your insights, gifts, experience, and especially if you have something lovely to offer from your website, blog or shop. Let people know how awesome you are!

This month’s theme is.... Get Inspired. I believe you will enjoy tips and stories shared by this issue’s contributors about getting and staying inspired. A must read for you all creative souls :-)

Enjoy the graphic goodness!

Right-click-and-save-as this link if you want to download the blogzine (pdf file)

Like this blogzine? Do share it with your friends and give them a graphic goodness treat using the share buttons on the post-footer below :o) sweet thanks!

Deadline extended (no hurry! :o): Invitation to be part of the upcoming Blogzine :o)

2011-05-28T20:53:00.000+07:00

At the earliest the first week of June – at the latest on 1 August (the 11th birthday of Amretasgraphics :o)) – it will be a big thing for me: the online shop re-open, the blog re-arranged, the activities re-scheduled, the fortune cookies re-planned and the blogzine revived! Yippeee! If Amretasgraphics seemed calm and quiet lately, I’m very very busy preparing delicious stuff behind the screen (oh, I love it, he he). It’s a bit ‘sneaky’ as the ‘computer-time’ is only in the evening after work and on weekends. That’s how I can’t guarantee the exact date for the big-day. Now I just wait for the good time to take a long summer days-off, and in the meantime, it’s all about preps and planning. Sounds exciting? *wink-wink*

And speaking specifically about Amretasgraphics Blogzine, I was ecstatic to see the statistics on issuu.com/amreta (where I placed the blogzines) that the three previous issues have been viewed and downloaded thousands of times since their publication in June and July last year. Don’t you think it’s just time to revive the zines?? I love creating them, to be very honest. As always I looove playing with layouts and color combinations on the pages. The problem, then? Why I stopped creating ones? You might guess: the contents. Sure I could create printables, sure I could add more graphics and journaling stuff. But I always wanted to have blogzines with more inspiring contents, not solely about amretasgraphics – it should be about ‘amretasgraphics and friends’ :o) Amretasgraphics Blogzines should be ‘owned’ by you as well, dear readers and fellow bloggers. I dream of a beautiful goodie space you would happily be part of, in an easy-to-distribute format (I think it is!) so it makes a lovely way to share your gifts and inspiration with the world through the inter-lovely-web. It would make a lovely way to spread the word and to promote your blog or website. Together we get ahead and grow, no?

Well, that is my intention. So, would you help me to revive the blogzine? *another wink-wink*

Here are the easy peasy PLAY-rules for the upcoming blogzine (issue 04 – June 2011). I would like to invite you to be part of it – your contribution is superduperly appreciated :o). The theme for this issue is “getting and staying inspired”.

All you need to do is answering / sharing your thoughts on the few points listed further below on this post.

There are three ways of submitting your story:
1. Post your story on your blog. When it’s ready, leave a comment on this post below, tell us your name, the name & URL of your blog / website / shop, where you live, and the link to your blog post with the story.
2. Post your story directly by leaving a comment on this post (text only), tell us your name, the name & URL of your blog / website / shop, and where you live. If you have pictures to share, send them to amretasblogzine@gmail.com with subject: Blogzine picture from …(your name).
3. Send your story + pictures directly to amretasblogzine@gmail.com

Ready?

Here are the questions / points :

Part 1: your thoughts about getting and staying inspired. What does it mean for you to get and stay inspired? When and/or where do you feel most inspired?

Part 2: your list of must-have’s, must-do’s, must-see’s, must-read’s, must-listen’s, must-visit’s, personal tips and recommendations, etc., to get and stay inspired. I know it can be very very long ;-) but you can list some of the top things you love the most.

Part 3: include picture(s)! yay! It must be a picture of you – a picture of your artsy-crafty creation - or a picture that you took yourself, which makes you feel happy and inspired everytime you look at it.

Part 4: if you have particular story or words or experience that makes you feel specially inspired and that lifts you up from the feeling of getting stuck…you can also share it here (+ links if it’s about or connected to a website)

The blogzine is planned to be published on 11 June.

Wanna see a sample + sneak peek on how it will look? View the sneaky-peeky-sample below, or download the pdf file here if you prefer to save the file for viewing it offline.

Once the blogzine is published and your story is in, I will email you attaching the buttons (samples below) that you can insert to your original blog-post, blog or website. You will also get the embed code if you want to publish the blogzine on your own blog. You will also get the rights to offer the blogzine as gift from your site, since you’re part of it.

Q: What if I miss the deadline?
A: Don’t worry, even if you don’t make it to the blogzine because you miss the deadline, your story will always be published on amretasgraphicsblog.com. It really depends on how many stories I receive until the deadline, whether I can include them all in one blogzine or I will make another series with the next issue. In any case, a link to the submitted stories will also included in the blogzine.

Q: What if I don’t have a website / blog, but I want to participate?
A: No problem. Tell us a little bit about yourself instead.

Do you have any more questions? Send your question(s) to my email amretasblogzine@gmail.com and allow me about one day to reply.

And voila! I hope you like the idea and that you will participate with your story and tips to inspire friends and more friends through the lovely net-world :o)

Like this project? Do you know some people who might be interested in submitting their stories? Do share it with your friends using the share buttons on the post-footer below :o) sweet thanks!

Amy of Pikaland's 100 things to draw

2011-05-24T09:47:00.000+07:00

Wow! Amy from Pikaland has this wonderful list of 100 things to draw! Really really love it!! (and just have to share it :-)))

Open publication - Free publishing - More art

Link-love-click here to read the original post on Amy's Pikaland website (and to download the PDF file)

Like this post? Do share it with your friends and give them a graphic goodness treat using the share buttons on the post-footer below :o) sweet thanks!

My Thank You Book - Free Download

2011-04-26T21:10:00.000+07:00

Hello all! Hope you have a nice long Easter weekend :-) I admit I take a break (again!) from the fortune cookies series, but I've worked a lot during the weekend to prepare for you a new download which is...MY THANK YOU BOOK! :-)

Initially I prepared the e-book for my shop (which will be re-launched this coming summer... it's a lot of work, but exciting :-)) but then came to my thoughts that actually I can't wait for you to get a taste of my newest work! So here I was, thanks to the long weekend, creating the free version of MY THANK YOU BOOK for everyone to download and enjoy! I'm so excited about it.

This version is completely free! The 'purchase' version is more extensive, with lots of journaling samples and 20+ variations of printable art frames (in the free version you will find 2 sets of printable art frames as bonus gift), and available in 4 sizes (A4, letter, B5, and A5 - the free version is in A5 size). There will be several versions of designs as well, and you will be able to order customised journals (based on the available designs). I'm still preparing some samples of customised thank you books: I will help you add your own pictures, modify texts, etc. For your own use or for gifts, they are both perfect :-)

Anyway, you can preview or download the free MY THANK YOU BOOK here. I hope you enjoy it ;-)

XOXO Amreta

Open publication - Free publishing - More amreta

DOWNLOAD THE EBOOK HERE

Aw! For those reading this blog on mobile device...(like me from time to time :-)) I make the ebook text available below....

MY THANK YOU BOOK

IN EVERY SINGLE BOOK I read about living life fully, gratitude has always been mentioned as the very key to live joyfully. And the more I practice gratitude journaling, the happier and happier I feel every day.

Voila! The key is ‘practice’. It’s easy to just think or know that gratitude is the magic key to happy life but if you don’t practice it, and if you don’t mean it, then for sure it would just stay as a file in your memory...or a knowledge somewhere far far away in the sky.

As a crazy-about-journaling person I am, I found that gratitude journaling is a very effective way to express and record my ‘thank-you’s to life, for all the wonderful things that came my way. And after sometime, I love taking another peek and reading my old journal pages again and here are some lessons I got:

1. writing your thank-you’s in your journal is about practicing to notice things that work in your life, wonderful things that came your way, all the blessings you‘re showered with every day. And guess what, all of that makes you feel so good. And that’s the most important aspect of this journaling: it makes you feel good.

2. and because you choose to notice the good things in your everyday life, guess what, they keep coming back! In fact, have you ever heard this quote: “energy flows to where attention goes?” I think it’s so true. So, if you focus your attention to things you love, then ‘guaranteed’ chances are that you will only see, hear, feel and experience more of what you love. Because that’s where your attention is. Your brain will discard the rest. Wonderful fact, isn’t it?

3. it also works with goals, intentions, and dreams. I love dreaming, and imagination is a very safe and magnificence ‘starting place’ ‘for all your dreams. Even for all great artists and innovators, every single work begins in their imaginations. I learned that, when combined with sincere gratitude, imagination would become powerful visualization and I’ve experienced so many moments where things just fell into places, making the best parts of my dreams, intentions, and goals come true, effortlessly. And of course, so beautifully!

In this book I’ll share with you what I’ve learned from practicing gratitude journaling - my current favorite! It’s actually a tweaked version of my old version of journaling (you can read about it in Amretasgraphics Blogzine issue 2) - where the ‘thank you’ list is only part (though I put it as the first part) of the whole journal. Now with My Thank You Book version of journaling, you will find “thank you’s” inserted in every part of the journal.

With time, you will find it easy (and fun!) to do the gratitude journaling. Start, and just do. You will get some tips from me, but there is no rule, and there is no right or wrong. Follow your heart, and follow what you love -> -> WHAT YOU LOVE = TO BE THANKFUL FOR.

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

“...that is what learning is. You suddenly understand something you’ve understood all your life, but in a new way” -- Doris Lessing

On the next pages you will find a guided journaling system that you can follow - but again, there no right or wrong in practicing this journaling, you can fill in all parts or just take what makes you FEEL GOOD (oh, I guess, indeed there is one rule, and this is it: what you write has to make you FEEL GOOD! :-))

But here’s a tip: all parts of the journaling will start with the word “THANK YOU” or “I AM GRATEFUL” or “I AM THANKFUL”... words that express how grateful you are, and then, you write things you love, place pictures or inspiration you love, create art you love... and I think - and I’m certain - naturally you will feel good and refreshed.

It is also very good to set intention and have your journal easy to reach whenever you are inspired and want to jot down lovely thoughts that come across your mind. Have it handy in your bag along with one or colorful pens that make you just happy to write. You can print out the pages from this journal, or if you’re like me (who tend to write and write and write and limitation of place makes me...well, limited - and here in this journal you should be free), you can use a notebook and printout only the headings of your choice, cut and paste them on to your notebook, on the place you want - no limit! :o)

Besides noticing the blessings and the things you love and you’re grateful of, this journaling also incorporates creative and intention and dream journalings. Everybody is creative but you need to appreciate your creativity in order for it to be natural part of your daily life. In this journal, you will be given assignment to express your thanks of the day through creative art, one thing a day if you want. In this space you can also collect things that make you feel grateful or that remind you how blessed you are, one thing a day. You decide (for me, collecting is also an act / expression of creativity). I collect leaves from trees or plants on the street, especially when I’m traveling. It makes me think of abundance that surrounds me. Some other days I made a small page of doodles a day. And when I felt so abundantly inspired, I just made a collage of leaves, teabags, printouts from internet and cutouts from magazines, etc. One day, when you feel like having a sucky day... go through pages of your creative thankful journals and you will be instantly reminded of the blessings you have received and also instantly you will feel better!!

From what I’ve learned from journaling, your intention can be so powerful when you start with Thank You + firm belief and trust that the best is already yours. Intention journal is a really safe place to jot down all that you have in mind, and even though during the day you find that not everything goes the way you’ve imagined, what you’ve poured out in the intention journal would help you go through all odds knowing that the universe has better ideas as well as its own special way to bring the best to you. Of course you’ll know it, you focus your attention to the bright side of everything that happens to you. Gratitude journaling will help you to look at and to look for the newly open doors instead of the closed windows.

Lately I love writing intention journal in the morning and so I call this section “HELLO, MORNING” - and start with (for example) “Thank you for a restful sleep and a lovely morning sun...”, I list things I feel love for that morning (remember: THINGS YOU LOVE = THINGS TO BE THANKFUL FOR) and after that, I start envisioning the great day I so love and am deeply grateful for. Always, start with “THANK YOU”, so your entry could look like this: “Thank you for a lovely walk to work passing by the field behind the big building where I can listen to the wind singing through fresh green grass and banana trees..”

I remember when I wrote those lines in my journal, probably the words sank into my brain, it helped me to be mindful so when I walked through the open field that day, it seemed like my brain automatically scanned the sound of the wind singing through the grass and the banana trees!

Another favorite of mine in this Thank You Book is the dream journaling, which I call “MY FASCINATING LIFE”. As I mentioned this is a tweaked version of my old journaling and I still love it so much. And like other tweaked parts, now the journal starts with “Thank You for...” and then write about all those things you really really want in your fascinating life. Yes, it takes one very courageous thing to do this: imagination.

Write the experience in details, and feel as if they already happened. Give thanks (and mean it) everywhere wherever possible to insert the word. It must make you feel superduper good after you finish writing.

A new section in my current journals (compared to the old version) is the one I call “BLESS THE BILLS” section :o) It’s a completely fun new way for me to see the bills and my expenses. Probably like many other people I used to feel not-so-good whevener I received bills or looked at my expenses. But now I decided to give thanks for the bills, for the money that I give away, it means that I have all the blessing to have and do things I want. So, instead of just piling the bills in the drawer, each night now... I make a collage out of them in the journal! (giggling just to think of it now :o)). I bless those bills and thank the universe for the good things I received and enjoy, and those bills are the proof!

And yes, there is also a very important part of the journaling where you actually have to allow the good things to happen to you, and it starts with feeling that you’re such a wonderful person that you deserve all those fantastic things in the world! :o)

In my blogzine, about my ‘old version’ of journaling, I explained about the game to play in this section I call “OH SO WONDERFUL ME”: you will have to notice the cool things you did during the day that makes you feel ‘wow’ and fabulous. The game stays the same in this new version of journaling, except that, you already know by now, you will start with “THANK YOU...” Wonderful isn’t it, to be thankful for being the wonderful person that you are!

I had a lot of fun (and laughs) practicing this. It can be something you notice yourself, or even what your friends said about you. I didn’t really understand this until one day as I was sitting together with my friend Fina, on our computers figuring out how the javascript for my add-to-cart button worked. I had never edited a javascript before, so it was quite a challenge. After sometime of trial and error, guess what, finally I got it! The add-to-card button on my online used-book shop www.garagesalebuku.com did work the way I want it to! I felt so excited that spontaneously I just said “woooow I’m sooo goooood!” - Fina, jumping to see the screen on my computer, just looked at me and laughed. “You ARE good. You didn’t know that? Then now you know!” Then we laughed out loud together and almost like magically something shifted. I felt “WORTH IT” - and boy, didn’t it make me feel SO GOOD!

The following evening I noted down what I had just experienced, and again, I had this feel-good excitement and since then I LOVE playing this little game! It takes a little bit of practice since probably you’re not that used to it, but you will! It can be about something small and simple such as, you remember to say “Thank You” 10 times this morning, you call and say “I love you” to your mother and it makes her so very happy! You name it. I guarantee, after sometime, you will be amazed at how much wonderful things about you that you can list in your journal, and your self esteem will skyrocket. I find it so effective when you say it outloud too, with excitement, feel it, and note it down in your journal. You see, you’re a wonderful person so you deserve to receive all the wonderful things in the world. You’re SO GOOD at it!! :-)

Now you know you are a wonderful person, your presence in life is something to be grateful for. So let’s have a cool space in the journal to celebrate how marvelous you are today! Commit to do something good for yourself every day, give yourself a gift, you deserve it. Give thanks and write it down in the section “TODAY I TREAT MYSELF”

I really love this section, too. I find it a practice to respect, value, and love yourself. In any case, you are your own best friend. Isn’t that a good way to close your journal for today? :0)

Huge THANK YOU my friend for reading this book. In fact, I got giddy while writing these words :o) My life, like any other people’s, has to go through its ups and downs, but practicing this THANK YOU journaling has helped me tremendously in navigating both the calm sea and the storm, and in getting back to the top of the mast again, by focusing on the blessings, abundance and the good things in everyday life. You see, my friends, in some points of your life, you must experience extraordinary things that are reserved specially for you by the Universe. Those experiences that are so perfect for you, because only you know the meaning. Don’t you realise, you are also blessed with unique gifts, the gifts that can’t be compared with other people’s, because these gifts have been specially designed for you.

I’m so glad and thankful for being given a chance to share some lessons I’ve learned through this e-book. If you find it useful, please pass on to your friends and share the love :-)

DOWNLOAD THE EBOOK AND THE JOURNALING SHEETS HERE

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My colorful weeks on The Weekly Spade

2011-04-19T20:01:00.000+07:00

Eww, I've been off for a few weeks! Been pretty busy at work and I missed sooo much the blogging world. Happy to be back.

My first destination was Kate Spade. I LOVE colors. And Kate Spade has the most fabulous colorful website with superexciting contents + eyecandies. Especially, now, with their ohlalasolovely blog "The Weekly Spade - A Blog About Color". It's my must read!

Okay, I admit. I might be very busy, but I think...there's always wee bit extra time to peek into this ultra inspiring blog...;o) Now look at those colors...how can't you fall in love...?

A Year of Fortune Cookies - Kindword Card 110328-44

2011-03-28T16:47:00.000+07:00

Art builds on itself. the more you experiment, the more ideas are given to you.
- Tina Verduzco

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A Year of Fortune Cookies - Kindword Card 110327-43

2011-03-27T21:35:00.000+07:00

Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder. Help someone's soul heal. Walk out of your house like a shepherd.
- Rumi

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A Year of Fortune Cookies - Kindword Card 110326-42

2011-03-26T18:54:00.000+07:00

The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart.
- Elisabeth Foley

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A Year of Fortune Cookies - Kindword Card 110325-41

2011-03-25T18:39:00.000+07:00

A sunbeam to warm you, a moonbeam to charm you, a sheltering angel, so nothing can harm you.
- Irish Blessing

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A Year of Fortune Cookies - printable kindwords greeting cards part 5 - day 33-40

2011-03-24T19:23:00.000+07:00

Open publication - Free publishing - More amreta

Printable Kindwords Greeting Cards part 5 - day 33-40! Yipppiiee! We're on part 5, 40 cards already. Hope you enjoy them! :o))

(((if you'd like to get the printable pdf version, subscribe to Amretasgraphics Newsletter or be my Facebook friends)))

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A Year of Fortune Cookies - Kindword Card 110324-40

2011-03-24T18:33:00.000+07:00

I don't believe in writer's block. The cure: pick up a pen and get moving. Go, 10 minutes, tell me everything you know about mashed potatoes.
- Natalie Goldberg

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A Year of Fortune Cookies - Kindword Card 110323-39

2011-03-23T18:27:00.000+07:00

Fine art is that in which the hand, the head, and the heart of man go together.
- John Ruskin

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A Year of Fortune Cookies - Kindword Card 110322-38

2011-03-22T18:21:00.000+07:00

We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world.
- Buddha

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A Year of Fortune Cookies - Kindword Card 110321-37

2011-03-21T18:17:00.000+07:00

Painting is just another way of keeping a diary.
- Pablo Picasso

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A Year of Fortune Cookies - Kindword Card 110320-36

2011-03-20T18:11:00.000+07:00

Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.
- Scott Adams

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More downloadable e-book! Graphic Goodness Exercises Series 2

2011-03-19T20:12:00.000+07:00

Open publication - Free publishing - More amreta

And special for you who enjoy creating kindwords cards together with me .. ;o) here comes the tutorial in one practical file as well. You can view it online above or download the pdf file here:

Graphic Goodness Exercises Series 2 - how I create my Kindwords Cards

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Graphic Goodness Exercises Series 1 - Now in a downloadable e-book!

2011-03-19T20:01:00.000+07:00

Open publication - Free publishing - More amreta

Hello friends! I'd like to thank some of you who sometime ago gave me feedback about the Graphic Goodness Exercises Series: why don't you compile the posts and put them in one downloadable e-book?

I thought "wow, what a good idea!" - I hope you too find the e-book a very practical complement to the original blog posts. Here's the first e-book, you can view it online above or download the pdf file here:

Graphic Goodness Exercises Series 1 - Gratitude Cards

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A Year of Fortune Cookies - Kindword Card 110319-35

2011-03-19T18:08:00.000+07:00

Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors.
- African proverb

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A Year of Fortune Cookies - Kindword Card 110318-34

2011-03-18T18:03:00.000+07:00

Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened.
- Theodor Seuss Geisel

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A Year of Fortune Cookies - Kindword Card 110317-33

2011-03-17T18:01:00.000+07:00

May the sun shine, all day long
everything go right, and nothing wrong
May those you love bring love back to you,
and may all the wishes you wish come true!
- Irish Blessing

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A Year of Fortune Cookies - printable kindwords greeting cards part 4 - day 25-32

2011-03-16T19:24:00.000+07:00

Open publication - Free publishing - More amreta

Printable Kindwords Greeting Cards part 4 - day 25-32! Hurray! Enjoy and be happy :o))

(((if you'd like to get the printable pdf version, subscribe to Amretasgraphics Newsletter or be my Facebook friends)))

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A Year of Fortune Cookies - Kindword Card 110316-32

2011-03-16T16:43:00.000+07:00

One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.
- Luciano Pavarotti

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A Year of Fortune Cookies - Kindword Card 110315-31

2011-03-15T16:41:00.000+07:00

Don't miss out on a blessing, just because it is not packaged the way you expect!
- seen on Facebook status shuffle app

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A Year of Fortune Cookies - Kindword Card 110314-30

2011-03-14T16:38:00.000+07:00

The sun never says to the earth, "You owe me". Look what happens with a love like that. It lights the whole sky
- Hafiz

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A Year of Fortune Cookies - Kindword Card 110313-29

2011-03-13T17:10:00.000+07:00

You are responsible, forever, for what you have tamed. You are responsible for your rose.
- Antoine de Saint-Exupery

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A Year of Fortune Cookies - Kindword Card 110312-28

2011-03-12T17:09:00.000+07:00

I am open to the guidance of synchronicity, and do not let expectations hinder my path.
- Dalai Lama

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A Year of Fortune Cookies - Kindword Card 110311-27

2011-03-11T17:06:00.000+07:00

Perhaps, love is the process of me leading you gently back to yourself.
- Antoine de Saint-Exupery

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A Year of Fortune Cookies - Kindword Card 110310-26

2011-03-10T17:03:00.000+07:00

We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.
- Mother Teresa

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A Year of Fortune Cookies - Kindword Card 110309-25

2011-03-09T17:02:00.000+07:00

Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.
- Gloria Steinem

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A Year of Fortune Cookies - printable kindwords greeting cards day 17-24

2011-03-08T20:32:00.000+07:00

Open publication - Free publishing - More printable

Printable Kindwords Greeting Cards number 3! Yay! We come now to the printable kindwords greeting cards part 3 (day 17-24). Enjoy, share...tell all your friends :o)))

(((if you'd like to get the printable pdf version, subscribe to Amretasgraphics Newsletter or be my Facebook friends)))

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A Year of Fortune Cookies - Kindword Card 110308-24

2011-03-08T18:51:00.000+07:00

Do or do not. There is no try.
- Yoda

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A Year of Fortune Cookies - Kindword Card 110307-23

2011-03-07T18:47:00.000+07:00

Openness is our art form. Spontaneity is Genius.
- Leonard Cohen

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A Year of Fortune Cookies - Kindword Card 110306-22

2011-03-06T18:43:00.000+07:00

Shared joy is a double joy; shared sorrow is half a sorrow.
- Swedish proverb

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A Year of Fortune Cookies - Kindword Card 110305-21

2011-03-05T18:32:00.000+07:00

I'm not afraid of storms, for I'm learning to sail my ship.
- Louisa May Alcott

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A Year of Fortune Cookies - Kindword Card 110304-20

2011-03-04T16:44:00.000+07:00

Fantasies are more than substitutes for unpleasant reality; they are also dress rehearsals, plans. All acts performed in the world begin in the imagination.
- Barbara Grizzuti Harrison

Today I feel like having the universe's permission to dream as big dreams as i want as many as i can enjoy...

Somehow I realised that I don't have to wait until I feel like having the universe's permission to dream, the universe does give me permission to dream all the time, 24 hours a day, the universe is very generously generous. All I need to do is to give myself the permission to dream :o)

Can you believe it, sometimes it's just us ourselves who hold our dreams. The reality around us might make us think of how silly it is to dream, but ask yourself: do you really have to believe that kind of 'voice'?

Today I told myself: I choose not to believe voices that do not comfort or that do not make me feel good about myself. Don't! Stay away from those voices! That would require a regular practice, a lot of practice. But can you imagine whom you will meet on the other side of the tunnel if you keep practicing? Your wonderful self!

Wanna be there, my friends? It's never too late to start the journey and don't forget to give yourself permission to dream! :o))

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A Year of Fortune Cookies - Kindword Card 110303-19

2011-03-03T20:46:00.000+07:00

People cannot discover new lands until they have the courage to lose sight of the shore.
- Andre Gide

Guess what, I really do think that today's lesson is one in letting go. How the angels have talked to me in such wonderful way! :o)) I agree sometimes we have to hold on and never give up, but most of the time we just have to let go. I've learned that letting go doesn't mean giving up.It's not about losing hope. It's about freeing ourselves from thing(s) we no longer need. It's getting ready for something bigger and more fabulous. It's about having new hope! Don't you think so?

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A Year of Fortune Cookies - Kindword Card 110302-18

2011-03-02T20:25:00.000+07:00

It's a funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it.
- Somerset Maugham

What do you think, my friends, about the saying above?

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A Year of Fortune Cookies - Kindword Card 110301-17

2011-03-01T19:20:00.000+07:00

Ohyay! The kindword card series skipped the whole month of February! Now let's restart and guess what in the meantime I learned some tricks to not miss the series ever again! :D What's that? Scroll down if you want to know!

It's never too late to be what you might have been.
- George Eliot

So, you want to know the secret? ;-)

Here's a little background: as I have a fulltime job that I equally love, and sometimes it can be very busy there, I found out that I could only work on my graphics mostly on weekends. And of course, on weekends when I don't have extra work or activities. Normally I should have enough time in the evening...but there were times when that little devil called "feeling tired and no energy" was much stronger than my motivation to stay up. What's should I do?

Oh yes, be fearless and do that usual trial-and-error baby! Guaranteed sooner or later an 'aha moment' will come to your side :o) I found this little trick that would save me a whole lot (I use Blogger.com as platform) : when you finish writing and about to post...below the writing field find this function "Post Options" click on that link and you'll see on the right side "Post date and time". By default it's set to "automatic". Click on the other button, "scheduled at" and two more fields, the date field and the time field will appear. Now change the date to the very date you want your post to be published. Also change the time if necessary. Up to you. Anyhow, it's your post. You're the boss :-))

So that's the secret! For my fortune cookies series, now I collect the inspiration during the week before, keeping them in my graphic notebook. I create the cards when I have time (and sufficient energy) in the evening and on the weekend, then post the cards for the week ahead using the very trick I just revealed above :o)

I just swear by this method...it saves me a lot of energy and I don't need to worry whether I wouldn't have a time to draw today or if I wouldn't get access to the internet this evening. Worry free and this keeps me happy! :o))

You might have known this trick before :o) but if you didn't - i hope this little tips can be useful for you too :o))

Have a graphic goodness my friends!!

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A Year of Fortune Cookies - card kit - free download - part 2

2011-03-01T14:06:00.000+07:00

hello! as promised here’s a little ‘guide post’ for you to play with the kindwords cards kit. (download the kit here if you happened to miss it)

first of all, this kindwords cards kit is to be ‘played’ in Adobe Photoshop. I have posted a series of tutorials on how I created cutout cards for my blog – the graphic goodness exercises, + the kindwords card tutorial itself..so if you also happened to miss the them… please ‘play’ with them first here: http://www.amretasgraphicsblog.com/search/label/tutorial

in the free kit you can find the following:

two working files, in PSD format. one with the basic graphics (640x480px and 560x400px backgrounds, transparent tape, rose bear graphics and text) and another with additional cutout graphics, for inspiration ;-)
in the first working file, you will see I included 25 free patterned backgrounds(640x480px) in the file. you can, for example, delete ones you already use, so that you don’t have to worry about using the same backgrounds repeatedly. but then remember to keep the zipped file in case you want the working file with all the 25 backgrounds back!!
18 patterned backgrounds, PNG format 640x480px, based on the websets you can download when you subscribe to my newsletter
3 beige basic middle backgrounds, PNG format 560x400px
2 transparent tapes, also in PNG format
2 final images from the working files.
note: the font I use in he working files is *Euphorigenic* that you can download for free, for example on http://www.urbanfonts.com/fonts/Euphorigenic.htm

if you are already familiar with photoshop (or the tutorials on how I created the cards)- then great! you also know that you can play further with the files, and that what I created is only a basic kit, a sample or you can even call it a ‘teaser’. you can experiment with different fonts in different sizes, and also with different graphics or pictures. yes, pictures! you can create your own fancy scrapbook-style framed-pictures with the kit. imagination is your only limit. creativity will flow when you just do it, take my word for it, it’s based on my own experience. I think all creative people all over the world definitely agree with me! :-))

anyway, do not forget that you can use the kindwords cards to illustrate or decorate your blog, website, etc, for free :-)

and here’s a little sample of ‘tweaked’ working file with the text replaced with picture of my almost 2 year-old nephew, Attila (living in Stuttgart, Germany), talking to me (in Jakarta, Indonesia) on Skype. it’s our new ‘hobby’ :-)) such an internet-age baby, he's my little muse!!

Enjoy the graphic goodness!!

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A Year of Fortune Cookies - card kit - free download - part 1

2011-02-28T21:57:00.000+07:00

Oh dear, now I understand what the problem with creating a tutorial...my way. It's that I always found something new each time I went further with my graphics, and the tutorial I previously made feels, well, ...old (!)

But anyway, I also understand it's a process I really cherish and don't you think it's worth celebrated? *winkwink*

As mentioned in yesterday's "blackberry post" I still have no internet access at my new place, and now working from a cafe with free wi-fi...I'm running out of time! I'm posting below now the Kindwords Cards Free Package for you to download, and as time permit I'll do the "explanation" in the next post, just take it as a series :-D

Now, if you can't wait to play with the kindwords cards kit and to create your own... download the package here (zipped 6,55 MB)

Talk to you again tomorrow, I'll explain everything about this kit :-))))))

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Delayed package

2011-02-28T00:06:00.000+07:00

Hi all! Too bad I still have no internet access at my new place! Now I'm trying out blogging via my Blackberry.

And so the delivery of kindwords card backgrounds package has to be delayed...

Hint: the package will come with a planner and the pdf version of the tutorial :)

Stay tune and come back soon!

XOXO Amreta

Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone from Sinyal Bagus XL, Nyambung Teruuusss...!

I (certainly, always) LOVE my life

2011-02-15T17:35:00.000+07:00

I knoooooow... I have had those very buuuusy days at work and left my graphics, blogs, twitter, facebook page behind for a week+ and now I'm catching up! I'm catching up! In the meantime I'd love to post this lil' gift for you. I've gone a bit to abstract land (actually, back a bit to abstract land, that's my kinda drawing style when i was a kid..hee heee :-))

see you soon again with the fortune cookies - kindwords cards!

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A Year of Fortune Cookies - printable kindwords greeting cards day 9-16

2011-02-03T11:17:00.000+07:00

Open publication - Free publishing - More printable

Happy Golden Rabbit New Year! A lil' gift before hopping now to the Chinatown to see the celebration :o) the printable kindwords greeting cards part 2 (day 9-16). Enjoy, download (if you're subscriber of Amretasgraphics Newsletter or friend on Facebook :-)), share...spread pleaase, the wish of a year full of fortune! :o)))

LOTS OF LOVE AND FORTUNE!!!

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A Year of Fortune Cookies - Kindword Card 110131-16

2011-01-31T01:19:00.000+07:00

Trust the still, small voice that says, "this might work and I'll try it."
- Diane Mariechild

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A Year of Fortune Cookies - Kindword Card 110130-15

2011-01-30T01:16:00.000+07:00

Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls. A joyful heart is the inevitable result of a heart burning with love.
- Mother Teresa

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A Year of Fortune Cookies - Kindword Card 110129-14

2011-01-29T01:15:00.000+07:00

Everything that is really great and inspiring is created by the individual who can labor in freedom.
- Albert Einstein

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A Year of Fortune Cookies - Kindword Card 110128-13

2011-01-28T01:12:00.000+07:00

It wasn't enough to be positive, focused, and fearless, I had to take action! Musicians say that the hardest part of practicing is taking the instrument out of the case. To begin is to be half done!
- Joey Reiman

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A Year of Fortune Cookies - Kindword Card 110127-12

2011-01-27T01:09:00.000+07:00

We cannot hold a torch to light another's path without brightening our own.
- Ben Sweetland

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A Year of Fortune Cookies - Kindword Card 110126-11

2011-01-26T01:07:00.000+07:00

The world is moved along, not only by the mighty shoves of its heroes, but also by the aggregate of the tiny pushes of each honest worker.
- Helen Keller

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A Year of Fortune Cookies - Kindword Card 110125-10

2011-01-25T01:03:00.000+07:00

And now here is my secret, a very simple secret; it is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye.
- Antoine de Saint Exupery

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A Year of Fortune Cookies - Kindword Card 110124-9

2011-01-24T16:33:00.000+07:00

"Yesterday is but a dream, tomorrow is but a vision. But today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness, and every tomorrow a vision of hope. Look well, therefore, to This Day."
- Sanskrit Proverb

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A Year of Fortune Cookies - printable kindwords greeting cards day 1- 8

2011-01-23T19:19:00.000+07:00

Open publication - Free publishing - More printable

Hurray! The kindwords cards from A Year of Fortune Cookies series are now available as printable greeting cards as well!

But this is special. Everyone can see the preview above, but the downloadable pdf file is only available for Amretasgraphics Newsletter subscribers. And on Amreta's Graphics personal page on Facebook ( http://www.facebook.com/amreta.amretasgraphics )

Take it as my special Thank You for being lovely subscribers and Facebook friends :o)

So, if you haven't yet been member of Amretasgraphics Newsletter or friend on Facebook, now it's the time!

The link to where you can download the pdf file will be mailed every 8 days with my newsletter. Please remember however that you will not get it right away when you submit your new subscription (it's not part of the 'welcome' package), but if you miss the newsletter, you will still get the links with the next newsletters. Or, if you are my friend on Facebook, check my wall and you'll see I post the links there. There's nothing to worry ;o)

Enjoy the graphic goodness my friends!

Like this goodie? Do share it with your friends and give them a graphic goodness treat using the share buttons on the post-footer below :o) sweet thanks!

A Year of Fortune Cookies - Kindword Card 110123-8

2011-01-23T09:46:00.000+07:00

"The game of life is a game of boomerangs. Our thoughts, deeds and words
return to us sooner or later with astounding accuracy."
- Florence Scovel Shinn

Like this kindwords card? Do share it with your friends and give them a graphic goodness treat using the share buttons on the post-footer below :o) sweet thanks!

Graphic Goodness Exercises 2: Kindwords Cards

2011-01-22T20:03:00.000+07:00

Hello!

Until today I have created seven kindwords cards for my new series, A Year of Fortune Cookies, and I already feel so energized. Loooooove it! I got this excitement of looking out 'fortune cookie words' each day, and sometimes I just felt like it was the words who found me. I guess it's true what people always say..."energy flows where attention goes".

Anyway, now we come to the Graphic Goodness Exercises 2...making Kindwords Cards! Whoohoo!

Now, if you already practiced alot with the Graphic Goodness Exercises number 1, it will be very easy. This time, we'll also use my Rose Bears webset for sample. If you haven't got the webset, you can get it for free with newsletter subscription, here.

Okay, let's start :-)

One. Open Adobe Photoshop program, prepare the Rose Bears webset.

Two, create a new working board on Photoshop. Set it to 640 x 480 pixels. We are going to create a patterned background. Choose one patterned tile from my Rose Bears webset, open it on Photoshop. Click on the menu 'select' 'all', then copy and paste it into the working board.

Just like what you have learned from GGE 1, either repeatedly paste the tile or duplicate the layer. Put them in a row covering the working board. To make it quick, you can also merge several layers, then duplicate.

When the entire working board is covered, flatten the image (or merge the layers).

Voila! You get the patterned background ready!

Three. Create another working board, only now smaller. Let's reduce it from the first working board by 60pixels both the width and length, which means make a 580 x 420 px working board. Choose one tile you want to use for the second background. Then, using this tile, repeat step two.

Four. When the second working board is ready, select all, copy and then paste it to the first working board. It's normally centered automatically.

Five. To give a cutout effect (which i love!), see I apply shadow here (click 'layer' - 'layer style' - 'drop shadow')

Six. Now I want to put a fancy transparent tape on the working board. Here's how I make it:

Repeat step two with another graphic tile..but only a small one, let's say 100 x 50 pixels. Then copy and paste and place it at the top of the working board, like taping the first and the second background together.

Oh, then I wanted to rotate it a little bit. You still remember how to use the 'free transform' tools, right?

Next step, I want to make it transparent. Again, use the 'layer style' function and use 'blending options' as shown on the image above. A blending toolbox will pop up and see below I changed the green tape's opacity to 50% (blend mode: normal).

Yay! The card background is now ready!! :-)

Seven. Using 'type tool', now you can add your text. For this kindwords cards I also drop 35% shadow to the text.

Eight. This time I use my graphics to decorate the card. Very easy exercise...just choose the graphics from the Rose Bears webset, for example. Open one, select all, copy, paste it to the working board.

And I also drop the rose graphic 35% shadow to give the cutout feel...

Okay, ready!!! If you follow these steps..congratulations!

Now you know how to use my websets to create cards, in addition to the cutout graphics you've learned earlier in Graphic Goodness Exercises 1. Certainly now you can combine both! Isn't that exciting? :-)

Do-It-Your-Way challenge this week

do a lot of practice and create as many kindwords cards repeating these exercises as you enjoy doing it :o)))
create your own {fortune cookie - kindwords cards} series
share the cards online. blog it or post it on facebook. share it (or share the link to your blog) also on www.facebook.com/amretasgraphics . Spread the good energy!
be grateful and celebrate each time you complete the exercises! :o)

Have a graphic goodness today!

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A Year of Fortune Cookies - Kindword Card 110122-7

2011-01-22T15:39:00.000+07:00

The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.
- Oprah Winfrey

Like this kindwords card? Do share it with your friends and give them a graphic goodness treat using the share buttons on the post-footer below :o) sweet thanks!

A Year of Fortune Cookies - Kindword Card 110121-6

2011-01-21T15:32:00.000+07:00

You miss one hundred percent of the shots you don't take.
- Wayne Gretsky

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A Year of Fortune Cookies - Kindword Card 110120-5

2011-01-20T15:29:00.000+07:00

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
- Eleanor Roosevelt

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A Year of Fortune Cookies - Kindword Card 110119-4

2011-01-19T15:23:00.000+07:00

Losing something can really be a win. When you have lost an item, perhaps it was not to be supposed to be in your life anymore and the universe is telling you that you are ready for something new and better.
- Marie Diamond

Like this kindwords card? Do share it with your friends and give them a graphic goodness treat using the share buttons on the post-footer below :o) sweet thanks!

A Year of Fortune Cookies - Kindword Card 110118-3

2011-01-18T15:39:00.000+07:00

The dream begins with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called "truth".
- Dan Rather

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A Year of Fortune Cookies - Kindword Card 110117-2

2011-01-17T15:41:00.000+07:00

"To practice means to perform, in the face of all obstacles, some act of vision, of faith, of desire. Practice is a means of inviting the perfection desired."
- Martha Graham

Like this kindwords card? Do share it with your friends and give them a graphic goodness treat using the share buttons on the post-footer below :o) sweet thanks!

A Year of Fortune Cookies - Kindword Card 110116-1

2011-01-16T15:39:00.000+07:00

"Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it."
- Rumi

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A Year of Fortune Cookies

2011-01-16T12:37:00.000+07:00

Yay! Soon we enter the Chinese Golden Rabbit Year and I'm inspired to...well...have something related to it on Amretasgraphics to share with you my lovely readers :-)

A little secret: I love what comes to my inbox daily. I subscribe to a few inspiring newsletters and tidbits and some of them, most of the time, made me smile and at least a few seconds of mood boosting that could last all day. Sometimes more. Isn't that great?

And yesterday, I just got a thought of opening a personal account on Facebook for Amretasgraphics... and I oh so love it! I can now connect with my readers personally. How wonderful it is to get to know my lovely graphic friends! :-))))

Once I opened the 'home' of Amretasgraphics personal account... I stumbled upon a fortune cookie application by a friend, and so I clicked and voila! An encouraging word popped up on the screen. It was "Believe in yourself and others will too"

Okay, so this is my intention: I'll pick some encouraging words I encounter that really shoot me to the soul each day. And post it on the blog and Facebook. And Twitter (my Facebook account and Twitter are interconnected). Of course, using various graphics of my very own creation (talking about sharing good energy, my friends! :-)). And this is intended (and now scheduled) for a year long, 365 days of fortune cookies.

If you like the idea, you can also use this as a fabulous 'excuse' to practice the Graphic Goodness Exercises ;-) The Chinese new years focus on prosperity, good fortune, overall wellbeing, health and luck. Love it. And I'd like to have a little adventure in that. Interested in coming along? ;-)

A grand journey always starts with a small first step. Here's mine:

from fortune cookie 110115

from fortune cookie 110116

Happy New Year and Love Bears Prints

2011-01-06T14:20:00.000+07:00

Hello everyone! Happy New Year!!!

Now, I hope you are starting new year with a lot of good energy. It's going to be an amazing, creative year! (oh yes I believe that! :D)

What are your goals for 2011? I met my seniors at work, those whom I call 'mentors' on new year and we had an exciting talk about a fabulous year ahead of us and besides the dreams, they inspired me to plan. Does it sound so simple, or typical new year: dreaming, goals, and planning?

Oh well, probably. Only you have to know this: (ok, a confession) I used to have a lot of wishes on new years, but never a real plan *blush*. I was too afraid to make resolutions or to set goals, damn scared that I would never ever be able to keep my own words and would just then disappoint myself.

I learned to expect nothing, believing that good things would come when they come.

To be honest again, my friends, now I see I made a terrible mistake. I simply didn't know where to go with my business as I didn't set my own chart, and so life took me nowhere. Sure I had made some nice things and created some 'ups' such as overcoming the troubles with the server, trying out social media. But I felt like I was just wandering around the web world, took a taste of this and that with no further follow up. Was it the adventurer in me? Who knows, but I felt like a clueless wanderer ;-)

Sounds miserable? Hehe, I admit that's what I felt. So thankfully the right people came to rescue. I really love my mentors. They have such positive energy and didn't see my past 'mistakes' as 'mistakes', they are 'lessons'. And the more painful the 'mistakes', it means the bigger the 'lessons'. As long as you can see it. And take an immediate, inspired action to walk, or even run pass them. Armed with the learned-lessons, you're sure going to go ahead and further. That is the importance of planning. It's to determine the baby steps toward your goals. It's soo good to have a person (or many) who believes in you! :-)

One more thing, now I came to conclusion too, that enjoying the present doesn't always mean you just go with the flow and expect nothing. I have learned, you get what you expect. If you expect nothing, you tend to do nothing, and nothing is what you get. So I turned around my belief: I will always expect the best. That way, I will always do the best I can, and whatever the end-result will be, I have trust it's the best.

Wow, are you with me? :-))))) In short, I would like to do the business right in 2011, and still very enjoyable :-)))) Though first of all creating graphics and websites is only a hobby and after-work-hours thing, but I've decided to take my mentors' advice seriously: not take it like a hobby! It's business, honey, a very important part of your living.

Now I remember my dad... a contemporary artist who was very true to himself until his last moments on Earth. Never a single moment I remember that he took painting like a hobby. He gave it all his best. When he died in 2004, former students of his told the media that as a teacher, he used to assign his students to create 1000 sketches per day. And he would oversee the them. Talk about hard work and self discipline!

With such role model and in this case, I agree with choreographer Twyla Tharp, the author of "The Creative Habit". As the book title says: creativity is a habit, and habit requires hard work, perseverance, and self discipline. And guess what, there is not even one prominent artist who didn't work hard. I was particularly fascinated by one passage of the book where Twyla Tharp talked about Mozart. Everyone thought that his music just came out of his genius mind like a gift from Heaven (indeed it was) - but not everyone knows that he too, had to work so very hard, practice with incomparable self discipline that when he came to his thirty years old his hands were deformed (true, I didn't know that!).

Sure I don't want my hands to be deformed after so much practice...but I do admire the hard work and self discipline. By writing this I want to use this as a reminder to myself ;-)

Ok done now with the talk and let's go to the first Amretasgraphics goodies of the year 2011!!

I see my previous Happy Bears Prints are among the favorite download from the previous years so I decided now they come back by popular demands :-)

Love has always been a favorite subject so here they are the Love Bears Prints, to start 2011, with love <3

I made two similar cards with two different polka dot background variations (one green and one pink), the same graphics for two A4 size prints, and A3. Aw, I think I need to run to a printing shop to print the A3 size poster...I want one to decorate my room :-))

I hope you like them, too! Find below the download links. The files are in PDFs.

XOXO Amreta

Love Bears Cards

Love Bears Print - A4 size:
- green polka dot background
- pink polka dot background

Love Bears Print - A3 size:
- green polka dot background
- pink polka dot background

Feel like lovin' these goodies? Do share it with your friends and give them a graphic goodness treat using the share buttons on the post-footer below :o) sweet thanks!

Kate Spade's Things We Love

2010-12-28T11:30:00.000+07:00

Oh yay! I can't help. I just have to share this fabulous THINGS we LOVE at Kate Spade.

Browse and jump into Kate Spade's popsy world.. and if you're like me, it feels like serotonin booster, you know, the very thing that makes you feel happy from the inside your brain :-))

Graphic Goodness Exercises 1: Day 11

2010-12-27T21:21:00.000+07:00

Hurraa! I hope you had a very nice Christmas!

I also hope you had good exercises with the graphic goodness and now we're going to talk about using 'eraser tool'. In the first part I include the PSD file for you to practice using the eraser tool, and I also uploaded the PSD file of the image above for your to play :-)

Download the files here:

The exercise
The image

So, let's start now :-)

Open the exercise file. Click on the eraser tool as shown in the screenshot above. The eraser features panel will appear at the top of the screen below the menu, and you can experiment yourself with the diameter, mode, opacity, etc. It's fun! :-)

Now make sure you are on the right layer. Click-and-hold your mouse and drag erasing the image. Ay, can you see it? Play again. As much as possible (...kidding...but a lot of practice will help :-))

Now I just pasted a red graphic to the working board, and I want to make a heart-shaped image.

so I clicked on the eraser tool again, and set the diameter to a small one. Then I use it to create a heart in the center of the red graphic.

Once I got the shape, I erase the outer area of the red graphic (I enlarge the diameter first to make it easier to erase), so, the red heart stands alone now.

Yippi! Now I got the brown and red graphics to create flowers. I added more elements that you have learned from the previous exercises. Open the PSD file of the image and you can play with it. It's another fun exercise :-)

Have a great week!

Auntie cooked for a special weekend lunch

2010-12-20T18:35:00.000+07:00

Hello friends! How's your Graphic Goodness exercises going? Did you practice alot? ;-) It's been pretty busy around here..but here I'm back! Starting this week we'll catch up again with the Graphic Goodness Gratitude Cards Day 11 onward.

I'm just so happy that last weekend my aunt was visiting and she cooked for lunch the food my late grandma used to make. I don't how to say it in English, but it's kind of meatball...let's say it 'Javanese meatballs'. It's a mix of minced beef with finely chopped cabbage and carrot and egg, and cooked with tomato and spices.

In addition our cook prepared fried minced tofu, boiled spinach and soy bean, and spiced grated coconut (it's called 'Urap'). And of course we always have rice as staple. Love it. It was a special Sunday lunch at home with my aunts and cousins. A good energy to prepare a week with more graphics on the blog. I'm such a lucky niece of my wonderful aunts :-))

Graphic Goodness Exercises 1: Day 10

2010-12-07T22:46:00.000+07:00

Download PSD file Day 10

Wow! Day 10. Let's wrap up a bit what we have learned until day 9:

copy and paste the digital papers to the working board
rectangular and elliptical marquee tools
move tool
lasso tools
duplicate layer
type tool (including coloring and changing sizes)
arrange layers
transform tools
select and cut layer to create shapes

If you missed the Graphic Goodness Exercises 1 - Week 1, go here.

Today using the same image as day 9, we are going to practice:

group or merge layers
simple drop shadow tool
using brush tool

Ok, let's start :-)

First, open the PSD file from Day 9. You can see on the layers list that there are a lot of layers in the document.

Now, start experimenting. Take two or more layers that you want to put in one group, or, to merge into one image.

click a layer on the layers list
press Ctrl button and click another layer you want to put in one group or merge with the first layer
click "Layer" on the menu at the top, then "Group layers" if you want the images to still be individual only that they are 'together' - or "Merge layers" if you want to merge the images into one image.
in the sample PSD file Day 10, I merged the entire small layers to make one doll image
repeat the steps several times until you get the hang of it

Second, let's experimenting now with dropping shadow to the images / layers

start the practice with one layer. For example the 'Thank You' text. Make sure you're on the right layer. Now click "Layer" on the menu at the top. On the sub-menu, click "Layer style" then "drop shadow" and the layer style box will pop up
now it's time to play with the shadow box :-) you see in the picture below, on "drop shadow structure", I chose "multiply" on the 'blend mode' box, 35% opacity, 120 degree angle, distance 5px, spread 0px and size 5px
repeat these steps with other layers, and try to experiment with various blend mode, opacity, angle, distance, spread and size

Third, just a quick taste to brush tools, because I want to add pinky blush to the doll's cheeks (we'll talk more about brush tools in a few days):

click on the brush tool on the tools menu as shown in the picture below

You see in the picture above:

when the brush tool is selected, the brush menu appears at the top of the working board
here I set the brush size to 32, mode normal, opacity 50%, flow 100%
and on the toolbox, you see I already changed the color to pink
if you still have other color there, double click the color box, and another color box will appear, and you can set the color of your choice
click on the layer where you want to apply the brush tool (in the sample, it's the face or layer 2)
now you can 'spray' the pink paint with the brush tool to the doll's face to create blushing cheeks
repeat these exercises. you can always click on 'Step Backward' or 'Undo' by clicking first "Edit" on the menu at the top, whenever the result of your brush-painting is not yet satisfying, and then try again and again. have fun! :-)

to be continued....

Graphic Goodness Exercises 1: Day 9

2010-12-05T23:04:00.000+07:00

Hello friends! Sorry for the absence.... I got sick and had difficult time staying for sometime in front of the computer ... learned something, though, next time I will use the scheduled post so there will be no interruption :-)

Download PSD file Day 9

So, before we start, I'd like to make sure that by now you have followed the tutorials and must be familiar with:

copy and paste the digital papers to the working board
rectangular and elliptical marquee tools
move tool
lasso tools
duplicate layer
type tool (including coloring and changing sizes)

And from week 2:

arrange layers

If you missed the Graphic Goodness Exercises 1 - Week 1, go here.

Today we are going to learn about using more tools and functions that I mentioned in the previous post:

transform tools
more select and copy/cut functions

And tomorrow, using the same image as today's, we are going to talk about:

group or merge layers
simple drop shadow tool

Ok, let's start!

First, we are going to make a doll / girl image. On the step by step below, you will learn about transform tools and some variations on select tools. You will also use a lot of 'arrange layers' function so it's a good repetition from what you learned in the previous post. Anyway, you will always have to repeat most or all of the steps, which means you will get a lot of practice along the way :o)

create a working board. Here I have the 640 x 480 pixels as usual, and copy-pasted the light blue paper
make an ellips from the light-beige paper, for the head
make three yellow ellips and arrange them around the bottom of the head. The light-beige head might be place under the yellow ellips, so put it forward using "arrange layer" function (see tutorial Day 8)
make a purple ellips and put it under the yellows
make a long dark blue ellips as shown here, for the dress

Second, to make a bell-shaped dress, use elliptical marquee tool on the dark blue ellips. Since you want to erase the outer area of the marquee, click "select" on the menu at the top, then click "inverse". When the inverse area is selected, push the "delete" button (on the keyboard) and then you will get the bell-shaped dark blue - as shown in the pictures below. Note: make sure that you work on the right layer (check with the layers list on the right).

Third, now we are going to start using the transform tools.

I want to make the sleeves which have the same shape as the dress, only smaller. So:

make a duplicate of the blue dress
on the menu at the top, click "edit" then "free transform"
hold and drag your mouse to make the image smaller

Now I want the sleeve I just created to rotate a bit. So repeat the steps "edit" -> "free transform" and you'll see once again the blue sleeve is 'wrapped' by a box with 7 transform points as shown above. Place the cursor outside the transform box until the rotating cursor appears, then hold the mouse and rotate the sleeve. Apply the transformation.

Note: when you do the transformation, make sure that you are on the "move tool"

You now get the sleeve image...

make a duplicate
click "edit" -> "transform" -> "flip horizontal" ... and voila you've got two blue sleeves one for the right, one for the left side of the dress
use move tool to place them on the top-sides of the blue dress.

Fourth, now we are going to make the legs and shoes.

using rectangular marquee tool, make the legs from the light-beige digital paper
make a duplicate then place them behind the dress
using elliptical marquee tool, make a small blue ellips
almost similar to step two (on how to make the bell-shaped blue dress) - create a selection area with elliptical tool on the small blue ellips (check with the layer list that you are working on the right layer)
press "delete" button and you'll get a half moon image. duplicate the image, then place them on top of the legs

Fifth, to create the hands

I made a duplicate of the leg
I wanted to make the image thinner, so I clicked on free transform tool (which means "edit" -> "free transform") and place the cursor to one of the middle-side points, and once the transform arrow cursor appear, hold and drag the mouse inward, to create a thinner rectangle. Apply the transformation.
Now I wanted to rotate the image to suit the sleeve image. Repeat step 3 on how to rotate the image. Hints: free transform tool -> rotate
Make a duplicate, click "edit" -> "transform" -> "flip horizontal"
Using move tool and arrange-layer, place them behind the sleeves
Make a small ellips from the light beige paper. Make a duplicate then place them on the hands

Sixth, to create the hair and the face

repeat steps 2 on how to make the bell shaped dress, now with the black digital paper. Use free transform tool if you want to make it bigger or smaller
place it behind the light beige head
using elliptical marquee tool make an ellips from black paper. By now you know how to make it bigger or smaller :-) then use once again the free transform tool to rotate it. Place it on top of the head to make a side bang. Duplicate, flip horizontally, then place them on top of each other.
make two tiny black ellips for the eyes
repeat steps 4 on how to make the half moon images for the shoes, only now use a red paper

Voila! The girl graphics is done and now you are ready to add some more details as you like. Here you see I added hair ribbon (by now you know how to make them :-)) and the decorative bubbles and text.

Tomorrow we'll continue with dropping shadow to give a cutout and 3D-like effect to the image.

In the meantime, have a graphic goodness today! :o)

Graphic Goodness Exercises 1: Day 8

2010-11-28T17:30:00.000+07:00

Download PSD file Day 8

Welcome to the first Graphic Goodness Gratitude Exercises - Week 2!

Starting today to the next 7 days, set aside at least 30 minutes to repeat what you've learned in the GG exercises week 1, plus to get familiar with some more basic tools on Adobe Photoshop that I use most often to create my 'cutout' graphics. It is a very important step to exercise your "graphic goodness creative muscles", which means, the more you practice, the more you'll get creative... guaranteed!

And if you are already familiar with working on Photoshop, feel free to develop your own techniques later, and share it with us here, or on Facebook.

First, start with opening (in Adobe Photoshop) the digital papers I included in the f.r.e.e. goodiebag (if you haven't got one, get it here).

By now you must be familiar with:

copy and paste the digital papers to the working board
rectangular and elliptical marquee tools
move tool
lasso tools
duplicate layer
type tool (including coloring and changing sizes)

If you missed the Graphic Goodness Exercises 1 - Week 1, go here.

Second, now here are more tools and functions that you will learn in this tutorial week 2:

arrange layers
transform tools
eraser tools
group or merge layers

Third, now let's start! :o)

First, I will copy and paste the background, then blue and pink ellips, and then brown treebark to the working board.

You see above that the pink circle is on top of the blue and the brown treebarks on top of the circles.

Fourth, now I want to move the blue circle to the front, and the brown treebarks to the back.

I click my mouse to one of the treebark (see on the layer list: it's on layer 4). Then on the menu at the top, I click on "Layer" and on the submenu "Arrange". Four options pop-up: Bring to Front, Bring forward, Send backward, Send to back

Fifth, now you see the options. Click on 'Bring to front' if you want the image / layer to be on the very front (on top of other layers), and click on 'Bring forward' if you want the image to move one layer on top. The same with the opposite. Click on 'Send to back' if you want the image / layer to be on the very back and click on 'Send backward' if you want the image to move one layer behind.

Experiment with the images on the working board, practice until you really get the hang of it :-)

Notes:
Another way to move the layers is by moving / dragging the layer on the layers list. Click on one of the layer, the hold the click and drag the layer up or down. What you see on the layers list is actually where exactly the layers are placed.

And voilà! Congratulations! You've completed today's exercise! :o)

Tomorrow we'll continue with some practices using transform tools

See you tomorrow!

Have a graphic goodness today!

Choosing authenticity

2010-11-28T11:20:00.000+07:00

One of the things I learned from my Dad, an artist, was authenticity. It was the very word that deeply sinks into my pscyhe, and I don't know if actually I just inherited that from Dad without realising how it would have shaped my life, the way I live now. There were times in my school years I lamented why I was different from my classmates, but then coming home, Dad would give me encouragement that my 'differences' - if I stick to those - were the things that made everyone know it's "me", that made me 'stand out' and that I don't have to be ashamed that I was 'extra-ordinary'. Then I went on. I found my life, life found me. And the journey is still up and down. And I'm thankful that Life still gives me gentle reminders whenever needed. Like the video of Dr Brene Brown above. Watch it. Take notes. You'll love it.

GGE 1 Gratitude Cards Day 7

2010-11-27T11:33:00.000+07:00

Download PSD file of the image above here

If you haven't done so, read the "playnote" dan "do-it-your-way challenge" for this Graphic Goodness Exercises 1 - Gratitude Cards Week 1 - here.

How I created the image above on Adobe Photoshop:

open the digital papers from my f.r.e.e. goodiebag
copy and paste the teal background
using elliptical marquee tool, copy and paste the blue circle, copy the layer to make 4 more, then use move tool to make the composition
using elliptical marquee tool, copy and paste one big purple ellips,
using elliptical marquee tool, copy and paste the green circle, copy the layer to many and then use move tool to create a composition of tree leaves
using lasso tool, create the brown tree bark, copy and paste
using lasso tool, create the blue and yellow leaves, using elliptical marquee tool to create the dark brown and white circles, then use move tool to place them around the brown tree bark
using the lasso tool, create the light blue rain drops, copy and paste and copy layer to many, then use move tool to place the rain drops images around
using elliptical marquee tool, copy and paste the dark purple circle, copy layer to make 3 more, and then use move tool to create a composition of the four images.
using type tool, create the text. Type on this sampler: Georgia. Use the move tool to place the text as you like.

Now you can play and create your own card with the PSD file that you can download above :o)

Enjoy this little tutorial? Share it with your friends using the share buttons on the footer below...

Graphic Goodness updates

2010-11-25T16:11:00.000+07:00

Wow! Basically you are here for a real treat, aren’t you? *wink* I’ve got a lot of free stuff for you to enjoy, to use or to ‘play’ and you can tweak them as you like :o) Oh dear, yes, I understand the graphics would be just no-thing if they’re only for showing, they’ve got to be both of your interest and useful.

So voilà the very reason why I created the graphic goodness exercises or simple tutorials on how I created my graphics. And THANK YOU for those who gave me very useful feedback through emails… I should’ve added information about ‘what I did’ or the ‘step-by-step’ with each PSD file that you can download here. Oh, see, the trial-and-error never stops, isn’t that exciting!

THANK YOU AGAIN for the feedback, and I will see if I can add the step-by-step info or even replace the gratitude cards this week with simpler files which illustrate the step-by-step in the graphic goodness exercises ‘playfile’ week 1. The posts will be up soon ;o)

PSSSSTTT…

Don’t forget,

I’m also preparing my new web-shop with much more inside than just web-sets. Expect these stuff for your delights:

all existing web-sets, but they are all updated with blogging sets plus premade PSD files for you to create your own stuff, to suit your need.
printable snapshots albums
graphic kits to satisfy your creative eyes and minds (Adobe Photoshop files)
journaling sets
lovely A4 or Letter size prints
premade e-book layouts (Adobe InDesign files)

Make sure you subscribe to Amretasgraphics Newsletter, get the free goodiebag, and special discounts later when the shop is officially open!

My icon of style: Paloma Picasso

2010-11-22T16:04:00.000+07:00

I remember that one particular day in my childhood, I was probably ten year old, when my mother lend me a fashion magazine, and while devouring nice pictures throughout the pages, I was struck by one picture of a strikingly beautiful woman, black-haired and wearing dark red lipstick. And I remember asking my mother ‘who is she, mommy?’

There was something that made me instantly relate to her, even only by looking at her picture.

It turned out to be a picture of Paloma Picasso, daughter of the famous painter Pablo Picasso and Françoise Gillot, also a painter.

Both my parents were also painters, that’s probably why – without explanation – I felt there was something about her that ‘clicked’ when I saw that picture in the magazine. By the way, Daddy’s paintings were also contemporary, and somehow at ten years old I was already familiar with the word ‘Picasso’.

Years passed. And one day I recognized the elegance that once struck me, through pictures illustrating an article about Pablo Picasso. I became nostalgic about my late Dad, about those days in his studio playing colors, or even those times I was still very small sitting in my Dad’s class, drawing my own art while Dad was teaching – when my parents couldn’t find someone to babysit me. But at the same time I re-discovered my style icon who is Paloma. I really really really L.O.V.E. her style. At least, looking in the mirror, I realized I’m also very fond of red lipstick ;-) And looking back, my childhood as a daughter of two painters did have a huge influence and made me refuse to give up my designing life even though I already have a day job I’m equally passionate about.

What about you, dear reader, who is your style icon and does your childhood play a big role in how you choose to live your life now?

- me with mom on first day to school - with dad on the boat to Bali -

GGE 1 Gratitude Cards Day 6

2010-11-22T14:02:00.000+07:00

Download PSD file here

If you haven't done so, read the "playnote" dan "do-it-your-way challenge" for this Graphic Goodness Exercises 1 - Gratitude Cards Week 1 - here.

How I created the image above on Adobe Photoshop:

open the digital papers from my f.r.e.e. goodiebag
copy and paste the beige background
using elliptical marquee tool, copy and paste the red circle, copy the layer to make 4 more, then use move tool to make the composition of a flower
using elliptical marquee tool, copy and paste one yellow ellips and place it to the center of the red flower
using elliptical marquee tool, copy and paste the green circle, copy the layer to make 5 images and then use move tool to create a composition at the bottom of the working board
using polygonal lasso tool, create the blue triangle, copy and paste, copy layer to make 6 images and then use move tool to create a composition at the top of the working board
using the rectangular marquee tool, create the purple ribbon, copy and paste and copy layer to make 3 more images, then use move tool to place the ribbons around the flower
using type tool, create the text. Type on this sampler: Trebuchet. Use the move tool to place the text as you like.

Now you can play and create your own card with the PSD file that you can download above :o)

Enjoy this little tutorial? Share it with your friends using the share buttons on the footer below...

Deco inspiration: classic with colorful twist

2010-11-21T21:28:00.000+07:00

Help. I want this living room. Seriously. It has the colorful twist I've been dreaming of for a living room. Let's thank decorator Miles Redd for the fabulous work. It's classic. But I had to hold my breath when I saw the teal curtains - in such composition with golden-green-ish wall and other extravagantly bold details. I swear I love this. I had to know why... yes, I have always preferred teal over blue, golden over yellow, and a dash of dark red or fuchsia or bold raspberry popping up somewhere. And those colors as floral patterns on a beige background. And in this room I discovered the power of black as well. Look at those black frames. They add to an oh so powerful character to this room. I always admire those people who can do the combination and orchestrate the colors to a fantastic room to step in, and stay.

How will I put this inspiration to my own graphics?

I'm in for the color orchestra! inspired by the colors in this room. Will be perfect for your playfile collection to accompany the Graphic Goodness Exercises :-) This graphic goodness kit will be available soon at Amretasgraphics Shop.

In the meantime get a bit taste of this graphic goodness kit... the two blog background tiles below were made using the color orchestra above, free for you to download and use if you want. I use Template Designer on Blogger and it's very easy to change the background. Just make sure that you choose 'tile vertically' so the background will repeat itself making a beautiful patterned tile :o)

Have a graphic goodness!!

Here come the two blog background tiles (click on the image until it's fully open then save it to your own storage disk)

GGE 1 Gratitude Cards Day 5

2010-11-21T14:09:00.000+07:00

Download PSD file here

If you haven't done so, read the "playnote" dan "do-it-your-way challenge" for this Graphic Goodness Exercises 1 - Gratitude Cards Week 1 - here.

How I created the image above on Adobe Photoshop:

open the digital papers from my f.r.e.e. goodiebag
copy and paste the pink background
using elliptical marquee tool, copy and paste the big grey ellips
using rectangular marquee tool, copy and paste cubes in various sizes and from various colors, copy the layer when necessary to make more images and then use move tool to create a composition of the two houses
using polygonal lasso tool, create the blue and brown triangles, copy and paste, then use move tool to place the triangles to the top of the houses images, to make the roof
using polygonal lasso tool, create the brown triangle to create a tree image, copy and paste
using the rectangular marquee tool, create the green circle, copy and paste, copy layer twice to make 2 more images then use the move tool to make a composition of a tree
using type tool, create the text. Type on this sampler: Trebuchet. Use the move tool to place the text as you like.

Now you can play and create your own card with the PSD file that you can download above :o)

Enjoy this little tutorial? Share it with your friends using the share buttons on the footer below...

GGE 1 Gratitude Cards Day 4

2010-11-20T12:01:00.000+07:00

Download PSD file here

If you haven't done so, read the "playnote" dan "do-it-your-way challenge" for this Graphic Goodness Exercises 1 - Gratitude Cards Week 1 - here.

How I created the image above on Adobe Photoshop:

open the digital papers from my f.r.e.e. goodiebag
copy and paste the beige background
using elliptical marquee tool, copy and paste the big brown ellips, copy layer to make one more image and make a composition at the bottom of the working board
using elliptical marquee tool, copy and paste the big yellow ellips, use move tool to place the 'sun' image on middle-top of the working board
using polygonal lasso tool, create a brown triangle to create a tree image, copy and paste, copy layer to make 3 copies of the image then use move tool to place the images around
using the rectangular marquee tool, create the green circle, copy and paste, copy layer make 3 more images then use the move tool to place them on top of the brown triangles
using type tool, create the text. Type on this sampler: Georgia. Experiment with the sizes and colors. Use the move tool to place the text as you like.

Now you can play and create your own card with the PSD file that you can download above :o)

Enjoy this little tutorial? Share it with your friends using the share buttons on the footer below...

GGE 1 Gratitude Cards Day 3

2010-11-19T11:57:00.000+07:00

Download PSD file here

Read the "playnote" dan "do-it-your-way challenge" for this Graphic Goodness Exercises 1 - Gratitude Cards Week 1 - here.

GGE 1 Gratitude Cards Day 2

2010-11-18T11:55:00.000+07:00

Download PSD file here

Read the "playnote" dan "do-it-your-way challenge" for this Graphic Goodness Exercises 1 - Gratitude Cards Week 1 - here.

Graphic Goodness Exercises 1: Gratitude Cards. Week 1

2010-11-17T22:19:00.000+07:00

Download PSD file Day 1

Welcome to the first Graphic Goodness Gratitude Exercises - Week 1!

Today or tomorrow, set aside at least 30 minutes to get to know and get familiar with some basic tools on Adobe Photoshop that I use most often to create 'cutout' graphics, Amretasgraphics style. It is a very important step to kick start your "graphic goodness creative muscles", which means, the more you practice, the more you'll get creative... guaranteed!

And if you are already familiar with working on Photoshop, feel free to develop your own techniques later, and share it with us here, or on Facebook.

First, start with opening (in Adobe Photoshop) the digital papers I included in the f.r.e.e. goodiebag (if you haven't got one, get it here). Get familiar with them.

Second, create a "working board" - the main board where you are going to use to create the gratitude card. Here are the steps:

on the "File" menu on top, click "new"
set the width and height of your preference. To give you example here, I made 640 x 480 pixels boards.
voila, your "working board" is created

Third, choose from the digital papers one which will be the background. In the sample that you can download above (the link below the image), I use a light-beige paper.

Here are the steps:

Open the file, click "select" on the menu on top, then click "all" on the sub-menu
Click "edit" on the menu on top, then click "copy"
Now open the working board on the other window (if you click "window" on the menu on top, you can see the filenames at the bottom of the sub-menu. And if you haven't named your file, normally it will show as 'untitled')
Paste the file to the working board (click "edit" on the menu on top, then "paste")
voila, the background image is created

Fourth, let's get familiar with the "Marquee" tools

On the screenshot here, the toolbar is shown on the left. If you can't see it, click on "window" on the menu at the top, then make sure that the "tools" option is ticked.

Here, the Marquee tools are shown on the top-left corner of the tool bar. We will use mostly two of the marquee tools: the rectangular and the elliptical.

Now, try to use this tool. To follow the sample: open the yellow digital paper, then after clicking the elliptical marquee tool, place the cursor somewhere on the paper and drag your mouse until it creates a selection area with a size you want.

Copy the selected area (click on "edit" at the menu on top, then "copy") - then switch again to the working board and paste the selection.

Fifth, now move on and get familiar with the "Move" tools (located next to the Marquee tool, on the toolbar).

Notes:

when you paste an image to the working board, it will by default pasted on to the middle. You need to use the Move tool to move the image around, and make a composition of a few images together.
when you paste or add an image to the working board, a new layer will be created. You can check it with the layer window, shown here on the right of the screenshot. If you can't see it, click "window" on the menu at the top, then make sure that the option "layers" is ticked.

Now, move the yellow round image to the bottom of the working board. Make sure that the Move tool is working on / moving the right layer / image. You can check it with the layer list. The layer that you're working on will be highlighted.

To create a composition of several yellow round images like shown in the sample, you need to paste 2 more. And there are two ways of doing this:

Click "paste" again : the same selection area / image will be pasted again to the working board.
Click "layer" on the menu at the top, then click "duplicate layer". The highlighted layer / image will be duplicated.

Using the Move tool, move around the layers / images and make a composition as you like. You will use this Move tool all the time, so be sure to like it :o)

Sixth, more tools to be familiar with: "lasso" tools

On the toolbar, the lasso tools are located below the marquee tools. They are similar to marquee, but you can create your own shapes with these tools.

Now in the sample I will use the "polygonal lasso tool" to create a triangle (for the tree). Here are the steps:

Click the "polygonal lasso tool" then click it (the mouse) on the brown paper. Move the mouse / cursor until you get the length you want, to the direction you want, click, then move again to another direction, click, then move again to meet the start. Click. And then you must get a selected area as shown below.

Click "copy" then "paste" the image to the working board.

Notes:

By now you know that when I write "copy", it means that you should click "edit" on the menu at the top, then click "copy"
When I write "paste", it means that you should open / switch to the working board, then click "edit" on the menu at the top, and then click "paste"

Now you'll get this on your working board:

You can use the Move tool to move around the brown image to the place that you want. You can repeat the "paste" or use "duplicate layer" as shown above to create more of the same images, if you want (why don't you try later?)

Seventh, let's get more familiar with the: "lasso" tool. I will create the leaves for the tree...

On a green paper (of course, open one first :o)) I click the "lasso" tool (the one on top of the three lassos - the 'free hand' one) - and then 'draw' leaves using the lasso. It needs a lot of practice. Just practice practice and practice. You'll love the 'homemade' cutout result. My drawing looks like this (see the selected area?):

Copy and paste the image to the working board

Again, use the Move tool to move the image until it gets to the place / position you like

Yay! Do you notice the rectangular blue images? Yip, I just repeated the same steps, only this time using the rectangular "marquee" tool. Then I did the same thing as the yellow round images: repeated the paste or duplicate layer steps, and moved the images to make a composition like shown above.

Eigth, add your gratitude text using "type" tool. Adobe Photoshop is fabulous when it comes to adding text. I really love this program. (Adobe InDesign is another, when you create documents for printing). Let's see the screenshot below:

Once you click on the "type" tool on the toolbar (the T button), the type toolbar will appear at the top. Choose the font, size, alignment (left, center, right) and anti-aliasing method (I always use "crisp" - that's the best I found!) - click your mouse somewhere and start writing. Don't worry you can edit the text later. Just start somewhere.

To edit the text, make sure that you're on the "type" mode (the type tool is clicked) and that you're on the right text layer (see on the layer list - the text you want to change should be highlighted. If not, click on the list the layer you want to edit, it will be highlighted)

Now select / highlight the text you want to edit. Change the size, the font, the alignment.

To edit the color of the text, after highlighting the text you want to edit, click on the color box next to the text alignment options. Play with the colors... (pssst: playing with colors is one of my favorite subjects, so I will talk about this in one of my next posts in the series. stay tune)

Once you're done, click on the Move tool and you can move the text around :o)

Tips:

Don't forget to create a copyright text, a small one but visible, and place it on the corner (or wherever you like, it's Your creation :o))

Now the final step for this week's exercise: SAVE your work as IMAGE

When you're ready, and your working board looks good... hit "file" on the menu on top and choose "save as" or "save for web" on the sub-menu. Then, save it as gif, jpg, or png file. Just experiment and play a little bit until you find the format that you think it's best for you.

And voilà! Congratulations! You've completed your first exercise! :o)

Well..... how do you like it? I hope you have a nice start and that now you're inspired and energized with the words of gratitude on the cutout cards you are going to create.

Personal note from Amreta:

"A gratitude card a day brings happiness your way"

Do-It-Your-Way challenge this week

starting tomorrow, set aside at least 30 "graphic goodness" minutes a day for yourself.
do a lot of practice and get familiar with your "working board" and the basic tools and functions we talked about in this post: copy and paste, duplicate layer, move tool, marquee tools, lasso tools, and type tool.
repeat these basic cutout graphics creating steps minimum 3 times a day
create one gratitude card a day (if you want to create more than one it's okay too :o))
share the cards online. blog it or post it on facebook. tweet it.
be grateful each time you complete the task! :o)

Have a graphic goodness today!

I'm back!

2010-11-14T21:40:00.000+07:00

Hello! Amretasgraphics is back, in new format, time for a new life for me on the www :o)

As you see, I'm revamping Amretasgraphics hence this new blog is created with a brand new newsletter subscription and I'm ready to take off with more structured contents.

Hint: it will be more than just showcasing my graphics.

Stay tune for exciting graphic goodness exercises with tons of bonuses. It will be more about my adventures, both in creating graphics and what I learn from the www. It will be about personal development through creative expression.

To kick-start the adventures with, don't miss the updated graphic goodies by subscribing to my new newsletter. I've also created a page on Facebook where you can join to share your own graphic goodness :o)