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Old 03-24-2023, 10:43 AM
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Default Let's talk about your workflow

From start to finish, tell us about your process from when you download your photos, or kit, to finishing a layout, or how you scrap, when you do your shadows, etc.

How do you decide what to scrap, anything you do every time you start a new page?

It's always so interesting to see/hear how others do it.
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Last edited by nesser1981; 03-24-2023 at 01:47 PM.
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Old 03-24-2023, 10:52 AM
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I usually start by pushing everything to dropbox and then I copy it to my external hard drive into the correct year and then month for photos.

Then I'll start tagging them in ACDSee by year/month/event to scrap. Eventually I'll tag them even more into a two page spread for example
February 2023 >Cooper's Birthday>Cake or Presents, something like that.

I'll usually tag the kit or template I plan to use with that spread if I have one.

If it's a big project or I feel like I'm behind, I'll sometimes go through after I've tagged all the photos and templates I want to use, actually put the photos into the templates first, then go back and scrap everything. That's what I've been doing with Disney.

Once I save everything I keep a PSD file until I print, in a PSD folder, then I toss those once I've actually printed that layout.

Downloading kits, unzip, I just put them in the Designer's folder - then the current year. I use ACDSee to tag the Designer, theme (if there is one, otherwise I tag it to use, or boy, girl, gender neutral). I tag the alphas if I think I'll use them outside of the kit.

If I think it'll work with something I need to scrap, I'll tag it along with my to scrap photo category.

When I'm scrapping, I have created actions for my shadows, so I add all of those as I go. This year I've started adding a little extra .25 inch around my templates to give me a bit of a buffer for the edges when I print, I'm hoping it works how I think it will. LOL! I was losing text in the binding of the books.

I also tend to add photos and papers to templates first, then I'll add flowers, then delete all the extras/flowers from the template and start filling in where I feel like I need it.
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Old 03-24-2023, 03:32 PM
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I start by opening lightroom classic on my desktop & the mobile app on my phone. My photos sync to my EHD into a folder (organized by year- so right now new photos go into a 2023 folder.) I also have google photos running on my phone as a back up.

I use google photos to search my photos for whatever I'm scrapping (theme, colors, dates, etc.) I then go to that folder on my EHD to look for the photos I want to grab. I open Photoshop CC and FontBase (my font manager.) I drag/drop photos into CC. I then go to my CT work, To Be Used or Template folder- depending on what I'm working on. Sometimes I start with a kit/template for CT work other times I start with photos.

I always fill the photo spots of templates first, sometimes changing templates if my photos aren't working or leaving open photo places for journal cards. Then I fill in the papers next, then florals, then wordarts & journal cards. I always add date & journaling last. I tend to shadow as I go, but after I'm done adding everything, I have actions to separate shadow layers & warp the ones I think need it. After I'm happy with shadows, then I add a layer at the very top. I fill it with black and then with a soft round brush, add white where I want the highlight. I adjust that layer to 10-20% opacity. Next I add a photo filter on top of everything- I usually go with the 1st warming filter between 15-25% or Sepia 15-25%. Lastly, I have actions to flatten, sharpen, credit & save. I always save a full size first, then have actions for various web sizes (600,700,800 & 900 pixels.) I even have an action that adds my CT banner to the bottom of a few of my CT's (just jaimee, foreverjoy and the digital press.) I save the 3600 layout in a fullsize folder, and then have a folder for the weekly releases, as well as a folder for posted web layouts. My folders on my EHD go like this- Scrapbook Layouts> Year> Month> Fullsize/ Posted/ Weekly.

When Friday releases are out, I post layouts around digiland & copy/paste from weekly folders to the posted folder. I copy/paste the credits from the metadata that I add when I flatten/save into the galleries when I'm posting! Voila. Done for that week!
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Old 03-24-2023, 05:00 PM
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Because I am mostly working with CT stuff, I start with product first (drag and drop from acdsee) except when using a template b/c acdsee will only open flattened layer so for those I open the PSD directly for my computer. I open the elements to see what I'll be working with and then look at paper. I will select a few papers and then turn off all but one layer (I'll look at those other papers later and decide which will be background paper and which will be accent pieces and whether I will apply any blend modes/masking with them). Then I place a few elements on the page, pushing a few elements off to the side, if I know I want to use them but not sure where I want to put them yet. I go pick photos to use and place them, then continue with the rest of the page design.

When I use a template I group all the sample design layers together so I can turn the grouped layer off, as I put my page together, but turn on to see the whole template.

I add a bit of sharpening and soft light blending mode to give the final look some oomph.
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Old 03-25-2023, 12:45 AM
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Since I work with CT stuff majority of the time. I'm starting with product.


1. I open nexusfont (my font manager)
2. I open PSCC
3. I open Windows Explorer to grab the photos/ papers/ elements from
(**if I have free time to play with my stash not for current releases, then I pull from Bridge so I have bigger previews of all the pretty things)

***my phone pics are synced with OneDrive so whether I'm using a new photo or old I have them all on my PC

4. open a template or a new 12x12 document depending on what I want
5. templates: I'm usually filling photo spots first - freestyle: usually I have an idea of base layers so I will do those first
6. papers/photos (depending on step5)
7. elements, flowers, clusters, etc....
(I usually am shadowing using my own style set as I add things)
8. journaling or titles if any
9. tweak things, placements, sizing, shadows
10. save full size and web sizes
I'm done. I do not save PSDs or TIFFs of my work. I figure that if there is a mistake in journaling etc...that it's human. Just like with photo albums when I was growing up...there was typos in handwriting, wrong dates, names, etc....so I kinda go with that. If there's a mistake, then my kids (or grand kids one day) will know that it's part of life and I was human too.

After I have a folder of saved full size layouts, around 90-100, then the whenever Shutterfly has a "unlimited lay-flat" pages sale I try to take advantage of that.


I just printed one last month, so I'm caught up. I did notice this time that they cut off more around my edges, so this year I will have to remember to leave some room
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Old 03-25-2023, 12:50 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kiana View Post
Since I work with CT stuff majority of the time. I'm starting with product.


1. I open nexusfont (my font manager)
2. I open PSCC
3. I open Windows Explorer to grab the photos/ papers/ elements from
(**if I have free time to play with my stash not for current releases, then I pull from Bridge so I have bigger previews of all the pretty things)

***my phone pics are synced with OneDrive so whether I'm using a new photo or old I have them all on my PC

4. open a template or a new 12x12 document depending on what I want
5. templates: I'm usually filling photo spots first - freestyle: usually I have an idea of base layers so I will do those first
6. papers/photos (depending on step5)
7. elements, flowers, clusters, etc....
(I usually am shadowing using my own style set as I add things)
8. journaling or titles if any
9. tweak things, placements, sizing, shadows
10. save full size and web sizes
I'm done. I do not save PSDs or TIFFs of my work. I figure that if there is a mistake in journaling etc...that it's human. Just like with photo albums when I was growing up...there was typos in handwriting, wrong dates, names, etc....so I kinda go with that. If there's a mistake, then my kids (or grand kids one day) will know that it's part of life and I was human too.

After I have a folder of saved full size layouts, around 90-100, then the whenever Shutterfly has a "unlimited lay-flat" pages sale I try to take advantage of that.


I just printed one last month, so I'm caught up. I did notice this time that they cut off more around my edges, so this year I will have to remember to leave some room
I feel the same way, don't save PSDs and if there is a mistake in journaling, oh well, that's just me being me LOL.
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Old 03-25-2023, 09:10 AM
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I don’t know why I save my PSDs, it’s extremely rare that I catch something after I’ve saved it and fix it, but I have. Maybe 10 times in the almost 17 years I’ve been doing this. Lol!
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Old 03-25-2023, 12:22 PM
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I usually start with the photos I want to scrap. Then I find the right kit & template. I add all the papers first, then the photos, then the elements, then the title, then journaling, and finish by looking to see if I need to add anything else to the layout to complete it. I add shadows as I put things on the page.
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Old 03-26-2023, 09:08 AM
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Here is how I do it:
1. Look at every element of the kit I am going to scrap with.
2. Choose my photo(s) to scrap with.
3. Open an untitled file in Photoshop.
4. If I am working with a template, then I'll duplicate all the layers from the template to the untitled file.
5. Place my photo(s).
6. Choose my background paper.
7. Then I work bottom up, be it with a template (hiding the unused layers as I work) or from scratch. Paints/brushes/stamps/doodle, then elements. My clusters almost always start with foliages/leaves then flowers. I apply shadows as I add each elements/papers.
8. Next is title and date.
9. Journaling is always the last.

Ps. I save my file as tiff and save from time to time along the way. At the end, I'll delete the hidden layers and save as a 700x700 jpg, before creating another copy with the CT banner.
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Old 03-26-2023, 09:52 PM
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I have a copy of my pics on my hard drive that I work from and delete as I go...this keeps me from messing up my originals or scrapping dups.

I usually pick an event or time period that I want to scrap and go from there picking a kit.
I also make sure Nexus font is open so I can pick fonts, also go check for templates...I am pretty random.
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Old 03-27-2023, 02:16 AM
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Pictures
Template
Kit
Place pictures
Journal
Place embellishments
Place papers

When I'm doing PL pages, I make a card in Trello if any events/stories from that week were really photo heavy or just something I want to dedicate a 'regular' scrapbook page to. I'll revisit these lists when choosing what to scrapbook... but I haven't done 'regular' scrapping in so long because I'm trying to finish up 2022 PL!
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Old 03-27-2023, 10:24 PM
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Import Photos to LR and edit.
Back up in Smugmug and ExtHD and Crash Plan is running in the background.
Open template (usually a pocket page temp)
Place in this order:
Journal Cards
Paint and Titles
Photos
Embellishments
Patterned Paper
Journaling
Save PSD (I keep them too and don't know why)
Flatten and save Jpeg
Save for Web
Add SSD Babe Banner and save
Upload layout to Smugmug and ExtHD to archive
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Old 03-28-2023, 03:41 AM
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I'm kind of all over the place with my work flow. Since I'm mostly making CT pages, I start by downloading the kit, unzipping and looking through it. Sometimes one of the papers or elements will spark an idea and I will build the whole page and then go looking for photos to work with it. Sometimes I see the kit and immediately know what photos I'm going to use.

I open everything I plan to use and then use a script to load it all on to one of the papers then I rename the document and save. I turn off the visibility on all the layers and work from the bottom up. I shadow as I go. If I'm using a template, I put the photos in first then the papers. Templates take me forever since I have to try every paper in every spot!
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Old 03-28-2023, 09:49 AM
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Right now my workflow has mostly been focused on product first while I am on a site ct.

I download, unzip and at least put them into a To Sort Folder (if I am really organized I will complete the rest of my process by putting the products into their own folders within the designers folders) straight away as I am usually on a tightish timeline because of time zone differences. I look through my photos and see what might work with what ever product I am using. If I don't have a photo suitable and I really don't want to do photoless I trawl a couple of stock photo sites

So I generally start with product first then photos and/or story idea depending on if it's a photo or photoless page. If I am not working with a template as the product I am showcasing I then go looking for a template that works followed by any other product I need.

Once the template is open, I turn off any layers I don't initially want and remove all shadow styles that are on the template. I then add the photos and shadow them. Next I bring in any pattern and plain papers then start playing with other elements to see what I want to use. Sometimes I journal next, other times I leave it til later. After I have written my journaling, I tend to open up my font manager (FontBase) to choose a font - I usually end up defaulting to Traveling Typewriter 9/10. One of the last things I do is find a word art/word strip or alpha for a title (I usually try and find a word art or word strip vs alpha as I tend to struggle with creative titles). I then if I haven't already shadow everything, sometimes I do it as I go and other times I wait til the end.

If I haven't already been writing down my credits roughly on Sticky Notes as I go (an app/program on Windows 10), I go through and do that complete with links to the products.

I then copy and paste that information into file info, save the psd file and then save for web the layout before uploading and linking as necessary for the site ct prior to release dates.
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Old 03-28-2023, 11:47 AM
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Part of my workflow too is to write designer/product info in a binder that I keep at my desk. I have sections with store/designer tabs and put in the due date (for CT stuff). It's old school but it works for me. If it's a page that I will post immediately, then I type in the designer/product info in word pad and then grab the store links before posting.
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Old 03-28-2023, 01:08 PM
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I first decide what photos I'm going to work with. I look through them to figure out how many I will scrap. Then once I narrow it down, I will look for a template or 2 that will work with the photos. I do a lot of multiple page layouts with multiple photos. Once I have the templates, I place the photos then look for a kit if I don't already have one in mind.

As for the actual scrapping, it is photos in place first then the background. Then a add any accent papers (I use a lot of templates that have lots of paper pieces). Next is adding any elements and building small clusters. Title work and journaling. Shadowing is done last and I always start with the bottom layer and work my way to the top. I may or may not do adjustments of placement at this time.

During the whole process I save my file multiple times as a pspimage file (PSP layered format). When I'm satisfied I save the image as a full sized jpg. Then I resize to 600x600 and save again. This copy goes on my excel spreadsheet of items used. But, I also run a pspscript that reads the layer names and puts the info into the creator info section of the file. That tells me exactly what papers and elements I have used but only if I drag/drop the paper or element directly into the layer palette.
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Old 03-28-2023, 01:17 PM
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I decide on photos and then find a template that will work with the number of photos I have. Then I choose a kit.

Once I have the template open in Photoshop, I delete all the extra element layers. I clip the photos into the right places and then the papers.

I shadow as I go.

I place all of my elements at this point. I usually choose a piece of wordart for my title but if not, I create my title at this point. I write my journaling last.

I save a TIFF file (although I delete this after I post online) onto my computer hard drive, a JPG file for my files on my EHD, and a 700x700 web version to share online onto my computer hard drive.

That's it! It doesn't take long -- 30-45 minutes unless I really struggle to choose a template or kit.

ETA: I download photos from my iCloud account every couple weeks unless I want to scrap photos I've recently taken sooner than that. They go on to my EHD in chronological order. I download and immediately unzip my scrap product. CT stuff that needs to be used is saved onto my computer hard drive with stash saved to my EHD. I have a "To Be Used" folder for kits and a "To Be Scrapped" folder for (copies of) photos, and I match these up every so often.

Last edited by LeeAndra; 03-28-2023 at 01:20 PM.
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