2 questions...

[Kitartas]

How long does it take you to scrap a page from beginning to end? It feels like mine take sooooo long if i want them to look any good. i don't like the simple plain style, i like to have elements and papers all over my page but i think i'm just so slow at it. it's taking me around an hour for a page, at this rate i'm not getting enough done and it's driving me nuts

and question number 2 - how do you shadow leaves???? i can't get them looking realistic. have a look at my gallery to see what i mean. if there is a tutorial around that might help i have PSE

TIA

[tammybean04]

For me, it depends on if I am in a creative mood or not. Most pages take me about 30 minutes or so. I find if I am doing an artsy page vs a normal page that my time is cut in half with the artsy one. I like that I can just be messy and let my creative freak flag flow.

For shadowing leaves, I use an action set I got for free from a retired designer. If I am shadowing a light colored page I use the set from Krystal Hartley.

[LeeAndra]

It takes me between 60-90 minutes depending on whether I'm using a template or not and whether I have a lot of journaling that I need to fit on my page or not.

I have given up on ever getting my shadows exactly the way I want them. I use a shadow set from a designer who doesn't sell here & call it good enough.

[Saar]

I'm a little like Leeandra. It takes me 60 - 90 minutes to create a layout. That's when I have already picked out my photos, template and kit.
If I'm really fast I can do a layout in 50 minutes.

I have a few shadow action sets from designers who retired.

[Valgal]

I think Flergs sells a shadow action set? Or used to?

[rach3975]

From start to finish, 2-3 hours. An hour is a really fast page for me--that only happens if If I'm scrapping a 1-photo page and everything just comes together.

I've fought the "not getting enough done" feelings my entire scrapping life. My compromise has been to do very simple Project Life pages with most of my photos and only scrap the best or most important ones on their own pages. (I'm probably too lenient about what I scrap on it's own page, because I think I scrap around 80 non-PL pages each year.) This way at least things are making it into albums instead of living in "To be scrapped" folders on my computer.

[Becca Bonneville]

There is a whole section on shadowing in our tutorial section here: https://www.sweetshoppedesigns.com/t...ory/shadowing/

[joelsgirl]

I'm pretty slow, I feel. Lately pages have been taking me days, but when I'm in my groove it's still a couple of hours. Even when I'm doing my weekly layouts with minimal embellishing, it still takes me a while.

Also, I think your problem is probably your program; you can't really customize shadows as much in PSE as you can in PS.

[jak]

About 60-90 minutes for a page for me too.

I have a tutorial on shadowing here.

Its for Photoshop and I don't how well that translates to PSE, but it gives the settings I use for different things, including flowers and leaves.

[Kitartas]

Originally Posted by jak

About 60-90 minutes for a page for me too.



I have a tutorial on shadowing here.



Its for Photoshop and I don't how well that translates to PSE, but it gives the settings I use for different things, including flowers and leaves.

I know you're in Australia, how much does photoshop cost here? I'm not sure if I want to spend too much just to shadow leaves haha


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[jacinda]

Layouts take me a good couple of hours in general, even when I use a template. It's rare for a layout to be done in under an hour.

[GraceLee]

I can get my page done a lot faster if I use a template. We have some awesome clustered templates in the store and they allow me to scrap the clustered style quick. If I'm not distracted, I can get a page done in about 30-40 minutes.

It's possible to separate the shadow layer in PSE in a roundabout way. Google "separate shadow layer in PSE" and you'll find some youtube videos. Once you get it onto a separate layer, you can play with it by using the warp tool or (what I prefer) the smudge tool.

[jen104]

I very rarely ever finish a page in one day. Most often, I have a folder of "in progress" pages and I work on them whenever I have time. I am a very slow scrapper but find this method works best for me.

[jak]

Originally Posted by Kitartas

I know you're in Australia, how much does photoshop cost here? I'm not sure if I want to spend too much just to shadow leaves haha

I don't know exactly - I think if you were to buy it new you can only get the Creative Cloud thing which is around $25/month.

I have CS5 which came as software you install on your PC (the old way) - that was a few years ago. At the time I think it was around $600 but through a family member I was able to get it using the student discount and it cost less than $200. I'm not sure you can still buy it that way anywhere - sometimes you can find stuff on ebay or Gumtree. I don't know a whole lot about the Cloud thing but it seems like a more expensive way to do things than it used to be.

[nietis]

I usually do it under or max in 60 minutes, unless it's a double page.

[Kitartas]

ok so maybe i'm not as slow as i thought, seems about average

[Kitartas]

Originally Posted by jak

I don't know exactly - I think if you were to buy it new you can only get the Creative Cloud thing which is around $25/month.

I have CS5 which came as software you install on your PC (the old way) - that was a few years ago. At the time I think it was around $600 but through a family member I was able to get it using the student discount and it cost less than $200. I'm not sure you can still buy it that way anywhere - sometimes you can find stuff on ebay or Gumtree. I don't know a whole lot about the Cloud thing but it seems like a more expensive way to do things than it used to be.

Thanks Kim

[Kitartas]

Originally Posted by GraceLee

I can get my page done a lot faster if I use a template. We have some awesome clustered templates in the store and they allow me to scrap the clustered style quick. If I'm not distracted, I can get a page done in about 30-40 minutes.

It's possible to separate the shadow layer in PSE in a roundabout way. Google "separate shadow layer in PSE" and you'll find some youtube videos. Once you get it onto a separate layer, you can play with it by using the warp tool or (what I prefer) the smudge tool.

OMG yes this is perfect - i just found one and it works perfectly

[jessica31876]

depending on the layoout I can get one done in as little as 30 minutes and others take several days off and on working just 30 minutes to an hour on them at one sitting. But generally they take around an hour to two hours. But I also go back and forth between facebook, pinterest, galleries, instagram etc while scrapping.

I am definitely no pro at shadowing...I scrap on paint shop pro XV. I set my shadows to be on separate layers which you cannot do to my knowledge on PSE which is why Ive never switched over. I just use PSE to edit photos. So anyhow my settings on PSP for shadows are as follow for a starting point:

Offset vertical: 7
Offset horizontal: 7
Opacity: 75
Blur: 25
Color: Depends on the layout. I use a dark grey or a dark brown.

From there I use my warp brush to pull out parts of the shadow to make it look more realistic and not all the same for every item on the layout. I tend to use similar settings for similar items to save time. If the shadow seems to harsh I will lower the opacity on the layer itself and sometimes use a different blending mode for the layers as well. Especially if the shadows are on a very dark item then I use multiply or burn to make it stand out a bit more. There are some really awesome tutorials on the site for shadowing though.

https://www.sweetshoppedesigns.com/t...ory/shadowing/