Graphic Goodness Exercises 2: Kindwords Cards

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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