Photoshop Elements - Photos to fool you

I just finished up a 4-week class in Photoshop Elements and learned how to do some fun things with photos. I start Photoshop Elements II (another 4 weeks) next Monday and am looking forward to learning other techniques.

I've included a set of pictures which I modified using Photoshop to exhibit some of its capablities. I had a small 1/2 inch square negative of my late mother in a picture with my sister, Jody and her daughter Alexis that was taken around 1986. I had a local photographer create a JPG file for me from the negative. Then I took this really junky JPG file (top photo) and cleaned it up, took out some junk in the picture - like lamps that look like they are coming out of their heads), added a bush on the left to cover up some unsightly stuff and generally improved skin tones, removed moles & blemishes, etc. (middle photo). Then I decided to just move the people to another location. So the last photo is of these 3 ladies (circa 1986) standing in front of Pittock Mansion in Portland, OR (a photo taken 20 years later in 2006), where none of the 3 ladies have ever been (bottom photo). I just love technology. (Remember to click on the photos to see a really big view of them.)

Domino Books

I'm busy taking lots of classes this year and having loads of fun. I just finished another class with Carol Murphy from Joggles. In this class we used dominoes, special inks, rubber stamps, paints, papers, glitter, gems, charms, gold leaf pens and whatever else came to mind to create Domino Books. I bet you never heard of them before and didn't even know that you needed one. I've posted some pictures of what they look like opened up (back and front) and then all folded and tied up. (Click on the pictures for a really big view)

These books can be used for fun little gifts or party favors. I'm planning to experiment with the process a bit and perhaps use single dominoes on art quilts, fabric journals, in scrapbooks and greeting cards. I am inspired.

The book on the right stamped with the the candid lady saying "look closely and you might see" and the book with the rather staid lady in the middle are from Catslife Press domino stamp collection. A link to the designer Susan's website is in my favorite link list.