{we are} storytellers

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Find them here.

Have a great weekend!

{storyteller} kellie mize

{focus friday}

Happy Friday everyone! Can you believe it's almost March?? I know I really can't!

This week, the spotlight is shining on a certain designer instead of a product, whose recent foray into the digital arena has generated a ton of buzz. Have you already guessed who I'm talking about? :) It's the fabulous Jenni Bowlin! She opened her shop here at {we are} storytellers last weekend and it's been wonderful seeing all the gorgeous stories being told using her kit. 

Even though she's now offering digital versions of her products, it doesn't mean you can't still get out your favorite paper scrapping supplies and venture into the hybrid world! Our CT couldn't resist whipping up these lovely projects:

By Julie Ann:

Click the link above for a tutorial on how she put this banner together!

And by Jennifer C:

So cute, right? Way to work it, ladies!

And since I can't resist, here's a bit of layout eye candy from the storytellers:

By Emily:

By Erica:

And by Carolee:

I hope we've given you some inspiration to carry you through the weekend! See you in March!

{storyteller} trude

{writer's notebook} talk

Welcome to our discussion of chapter 7 of Breathing In, Breathing Out: Keeping a Writer's Notebook by Ralph Fletcher. This week's chapter is all about "talk," and is one of the most relevant chapters to what we aim to capture when we consider from journaling from some one else's point of view in our scrapbooks. Being able to capture all the silly, sweet, serious, and sad things that my daughters tell me is one of my biggest goals -- each little word or phrase can bring back so many specific detailed memories, and keeping these words safe is something that is very important to me.

Fletcher covers a few different types of "talk" in his chapter; here are some really interesting passages to think about this week:

"I believe that conversation is a crucial element when it comes to revealing character or conflict, when it comes to revealing the inner workings of a particular world. Learning both the music of spoken language and how to use this music are essential parts of the writer's craft." (p. 37)

"Slang acts as a verbal shorthand that signals membership in a closed world...It creates a sense of community, keeps the outside world at bay, and speeds up communication between the people who use it." (pp.37-38)

Colorful language: "Writing down spoken language requires careful listening and a willingness to be surprised...The trick is to listen not to what you think someone is trying to say but to the words that are actually spoken, even if those words are ungrammatical." (p. 39)

On recording spoken conversations: "You don't have to go to the trouble of recording an entire conversation in your notebook...Get in, write it down, and get out. Write down just enough to rouse your memory when you reread it." (p. 40)

"Writers are drawn to any real talk that unveils a world: its emotional undercurrents, conflicts, hopes, tensions, and frustrations. You can capture this in many ways -- by writing down a single sentence, a brief exchange between people, or a more detailed scene...You can train yourself to listen to talk wherever you go." (p. 41)

This week, I encourage you to share your "talk" layouts with us. Perhaps you caught your son or daughter in the midst of a funny mispronouncement the other day; maybe you and your partner have your own slang, your own secret language. Create a layout that celebrates and captures "talk" and post it in our {stories} gallery and then link up to us over in our {tales} forum.

Remember, this week's Book Fair kit is now available -- it's a great boy kit from Emily Merritt!

write on,
{storyteller} aud

{storytime}

It's the end of February already, where does the time go?  I remember when I was a young child and time seemed to move at a crawl.  I would hear adults frequently complain about how "time flies" but those months between school vacations seemed to drag on endlessly.  Now I'm "one of them" and it seems as though I've no sooner shut off my alarm clock and half my day is gone. 

But I do love these quiet hours when everyone else is in bed and I get to take a trip through the gallery seeing everyone's happy (and sometimes not-so-happy) moments, frozen in time. 

Look at Me by mlewis - I love the look of joy and triumph on this little angel's face.  I feel the same way about big bags of candy.  LOL

Tea and Me by monica.rysavy - this page makes me feel warm, after a looooooooong winter of feeling cold.

Baby Girl, it's TIME by amymom24 - journaling as though you're writing a letter is one of my favorite techniques.  I always write on my pages as though I'm speaking directly to my son, and I love seeing others do the same.

Rainy Days by chengie - I love how she used the calendar strip as more of a "count down" - I never would have thought of that!

Thanks for sharing your stories with us in our open gallery again this week!

tempus fugit. time flies.
{storyteller} peppermint

{page turner tuesdays & cover stories no. 7}

I loved the brightly colored tabs on the black background of this week's Cover Stories inspiration. The flip marketing graphics are so fun and modern.

 

I thought the colored tabs would be fun on a black frame.  Grab it here -->  (take me to the forum)

 Lori created this oh-so-sweet page with it:

And designer Molly joined in the fun with this gorgeous layout:

 

Don't forget to post your own creations in our gallery.  Have a great week!

{storyteller} kellie mize

{storyteller} spotlight: lisamars aka lisa

My name is Lisa, I live in the South of France with my husband and my 2 boys (Mahe, 4 and a half, and Milo 20 months). I run a Planned Parenthood Center.

Q: How long have you been scrapping and how did you discover digi? I discovered digiscrapping thanks to a webfriend over a year ago. I had never scrapped before, I’m really lousy with doing anything creative with my 2 hands, so digiscrapping was the most fabulous discovery for me. At last I could create something that actually looks good lol!

Q: Why do you scrap?  Well... it came as the obvious thing.  I have always been an everyday storyteller. Taking notes of the small and big events of my life. As soon as I was old enough to have my very own camera, I also started to shoot the people around me. I am not very interested in landscapes, but really passionated by people : faces, attitudes, emotions... I love to capture someone when he or she doesn't see me... And then I discovered digiscrapping. That was it! Pictures AND words... the ideal tool for a storyteller!
I became an addict ever since : although I am a full-time worker, although I have 2 little boys and a loving husband... every minut of free time instantly becomes a piece of digiscrap... I scrap for my kids, so they can remember all the great and small moments of our family life, but I also scrap for myself, this is my selfish moment!

Q: What do you do while scrapping (listen to music, watch tv, enjoy the silence, etc)? I enjoy that priceless moment of loneliness and silence… at work, at home, I’m always surrounded by people. And even if I’m a social person and couldn’t survive alone, I definitely NEED some moment for myself.

Q: What is the last movie you went to see?  “Burn After Reading” by the Cohen Brothers. I’m a huge fan of their work!!

Q: What program do you use?  Photoshop CS2 and Lightroom.

Q: How long does it take you to complete a layout?  Much too long!! 3 hours, sometimes more! I always start with a very precise idea of what I want to create, and I change my mind in the process…
The other day I made a layout with Emily’s fabulous Quickies, it took me less than 30 minutes to complete it, it was such a GREAT feeling lol!

Q: Once you’ve completed a layout, what do you do with it?  I upload it to several galleries, then I wait until I have enough done to print a digi album with my favourite layouts. I do it twice a year (an annual album would be far too thick lol !)

Q: What is your favorite digi item?  Hard to pick only one… I love the little details that add that perfect finishing touch to a layout. Date stamps, a little button in a contrasting color, staples, the perfect alpha… I love journaling stamps too!

Q: What is your process for completing a layout? Well it really depends on my mood. Sometimes it all starts with a photo, and I look for the perfect kit(s) to go with. Sometimes I fall in love with a kit, and I look for the perfect photo to match it ! And more and more, since I discovered WST, it all starts with journaling. I know what story I want to tell, I write it down, and then I look for the perfect kit and the perfect photo…

Q: Show us your favorite layout of YOURS at WST.

Journaling (translated from French) : the past weeks have been really tough for me. I have often been tired, discouraged, sometimes bitter. This picture helps me change the way I look at my life, and see it with a smile in my eyes : 1. I have two sparkling kids, full of life, joy and energy 2. I have support and trust from the man I love 3. There is not a single day in my life without laughter thanks to the three of them 4. I live exactly where I have chosen to live 5. As imperfect as it is, my country is still a free country.

Q: What camera do you use?  Canon 400D. One of my resolution for 2009 is to learn how to use it properly lol ! I love to read Kathryn’s tips in the forum, she’s such a wonderful teacher!

Q: Do you have any favorite post-processing tips or actions that you use?  I’m a Lightroom addict. I use Kelsey Smith’s presets A LOT!

Q: What is your favorite drink?  I’m a coffee addict. I drink coffee all day long, I can’t help it… I don’t even TRY to stop lol!

I love this layout and the sweet story Lisa tells with it!

Thanks for sharing with us Lisa!!

{storyteller} laura

{inspiration} sunday: going shabby with Jenni Bowlin

Welcome to the {wst} debut of Jenni Bowlin's Digital Boutique.

"Jenni Bowlin will bring the popular Spring Picnic collection to the digital community. If you are a paper scrapper, then you know how fabulous this is. If you haven't had a chance to see Jenni's vintage inspired papers and elements, then hold on, you are in for a real treat! We are honored to be the first site to offer JBS products digita.l"- Deann McDaniel

Here is your inspiration board that might spark your imagination when using Jenni's fabulous Spring Picnic collection. I don't know about you, but here in Rochester, New York we are covered in snow and I'm so looking forward to the happy colors of spring.

1. the most incredible custom collage banner by Kris Hurst!!, 2. Grow, 3. two babushkas with curtain3, 4. my fairy in a jar for Michelle, 5. Rosanna, 6. Vintage Wallpaper Collage, 7. Shabby Roses Altered Box - top, 8. chic and shabby cabinet card, 9. Judys Shabby Rose Garden, 10. "Special Memories" Collage, 11. Collage cube art by iHanna, 12. Vintage Wallpaper Collage, 13. Romantic Shabby Baby Collage

I have some things to share that I created after making the above inspiration board with Flickr photos. The first is a banner that I made for a friend combining Jenni Bowlin's kit with Tiff Brady's template, also available in the wst boutique. Here is a brief 5-minute video demonstrating my use of the kit with Tiff's banner template, without sound.  If you would like to share the video with others, please direct them to this blog post.



If you have ever made a paper banner before, you might have used expensive papers and letter stickers or chipboard letters. The beauty of making a banner from digital products is that you are saving money in that you can use the digital products over and over, and all you have consumed is a bit of paper and ink. Emellish as little or as much as you like.

The next project is a digital heritage layout in the shabby chic style using Jenni's wonderful papers and elements. The layout features a vintage photo of my Great-Great Grandmother and Great-Great Aunt. I have used a digital inking action on the edges, as well as feathered the edges of the photo. I love being able to re-size Jenni's products to fit my design.

One last project from me is inspired again from projects I have seen on Flickr called "Bits and Pieces Collage". You can see this inspiration on our message board thread for Sunday and participate in our challenge as well. This is my result as I combined Jenni Bowlin's goodies with various items from the {wst} boutique.

Credits: Layout by Julie Ann Shahin
(all from wearestorytellers, except as noted): Jenni Bowlin Spring Picnic and Add-On; Pretty Lace Emily Merritt; Wordsnips Emily Powers; Tizzleberry Pop DeCrow Designs and Studio Tangie; Abundance Collab WST; Back To School Collab WST; Love Birds WST; Whimsy Woods Collab Tiff Brady, Rachel Young, and Jaime Young; Addicted to Love by Valorie Wibbens; Everyday Love by Emily Powers; Tutti Frutti Collab by Emily Powers and Paislee Press; Collage Art Baby from Scrapgirls

Thanks for reading {sunday} inspiration!

Check out Sunday's Challenge in this forum for your chance to win a kit of your choice as our birthday weekend winds down.

Please visit our other new products in the boutique, join in on the many threads, challenges and contests in our forums, subscribe to our blog for daily inspiration and please share your work and learn from others in our gallery.

{storyteller} Julie Ann Shahin

{snapshot saturday} the processing toolbox part 2 - color balance

hey everyone,

sorry i forgot to make this post last weekend.  here i am with part 2 of the processing toolbox - trying to help you establish something of a workflow when it comes to editing your photos, and understanding the some of the key tools that will help you process them.

in part 1 we covered levels and adding range and contrast to your image.  part 2 is more about color.  you'll hear the terms white balance and color balance a lot.  it's pretty simple and intuitive to get started with - in photos of your child, does their skin come out looking the same color as it does to you normally, or is a little bit yellow?  a little red?  a little blue?  it may come out just right, or it may be a little off depending on where you were and what the light was like when you took your shot. 

one note to keep in mind is that your monitor has a lot to do with how you see color in your pictures.  some people also simply have an 'eye' for color and some don't.  you should also try working with your pictures in the sRGB colorspace for consistency (you can find sRGB in the export/import settings in Lightroom and most camera import software, and also in Photoshop under Edit > Assign Profile).

so, here's my picture, after having applied the levels adjustment we talked about last time.
 
to me, it looks just slightly 'cool' in color.  with all that shade and concrete around, it's not suprising that things are slightly blue.
so, i apply a color balance adjustment layer.  in the color balance menu, you can change the color of the Shadows, Midtones, and Highlights of image separately (just change the radio button at the bottom of the dialog box and then adjust the sliders).  for this image, i want to add a little warmth to the midtones (for the models skin and hair) and shadows (for all that dark stuff in the background).  i add a little red and yellow to midtones using the sliders, and a little red to the shadows.

afterwards, my image is just a little tiny bit warmer.  again, this is about subtle changes.

so next time you're editing an image, just stop and think a little about the color in it and how accurate it is.  it's easy to alter that color just slightly using a color balance layer and make your image just 'feel' a little better.  there are plenty of other color tricks in the book - and next week i will focus on learning to spot and remove color casts in your image. 

doing this color balance step may be unnecessary if you use custom white balance in your camera, or you adjust White Balance as part of a Camera RAW or Photoshop Lightroom process. however, color balance does give you the added control of adjusting the different tone ranges separately.

that's all for today really - get out and have a play with all that photoshop can do!

{focus friday}

Good afternoon storytellers! Trude here, finally, thanks to a certain cable company deciding that I didn't really need my internet or phone services, after all. But I'm finally back up and in the 21st century! :)

Ironically enough, this week's focus is on an amazing collaboration of eight different kits (yes, really!) inspired by bygone eras. I'm talking of none other than the brand new Once Upon A Time set, featuring kits each inspired by a different fairy tale! 

Initially, you may think that such theme-focused kits may not be what you're looking for (say, if you have all boys or no kids at all), but fear not! Our amazing CT has proven that this collab has something for everyone.

Take this one by Tania, for example:

So awesome, right? Or there's this one by Laura:

And I love this one by Kristy, who played off the wordart:

And I dragged out an old baby photo of myself for this one:

Of course, that doesn't mean there's anything wrong with going full-out girly, like these awesome ladies have proven!

By Valorie:

By Emily:

And what's a great kit without a hybrid interpretation? Julie Ann created these gorgeous cards:

So have some fun playing with your favorite fairy tales, and share with us what your interpretation is!

Until next week,

{storyteller} trude

{writer's notebook} breathing in the physical world

First of all, let me apologize for my blog absence last week. I was in the midst of three days of solid travel and meetings for work, and I was just feeling so under the weather that I didn't have it in me to put anything together about our next chapter in Ralph Fletcher's Breathing in, Breathing Out: Keeping a Writer's Notebook. I'm feeling much better this week, so let's get to our next chapter.On my first read-through, I worried that there wasn't much in this chapter that was applicable to scrapbookers. But then I remembered just how many of the events my family enjoys take place out of doors, and how often I love to experiment with photos from the natural world. Nature, for me, is a place of reflection -- and thinking about that connection opened a door into this chapter for me.Some passages to think about:

"It is difficult to observe the world if we are preoccupied with other things. But we can learn to do so. I find that there are plenty of times when I have to gently tell myself, Shut up and pay attention to what is going on." (p. 31)

"As you start paying closer attention to the physical world, try to push beyond the sight into the other less glamorous senses: smell, taste, touch." (p. 33)

"The notebook is the place to record honest perceptions of and reactions to the physical world. You will want to record important specifics, but you may also be tempted to move away from strict accuracy and begin to invent. Go for it! The impulse toward play begins immediately in many writers, from the initial act of breathing in the world and writing down a perception. Such play can take place through analogies, metaphor, puns, or personification." (p. 34)

It is through those last two passages that I think Fletcher makes a great point -- as we work to improve our writing, the actual words we place on the paper and their order and sound and impact, focusing on sensory images is a great place to begin. What's more, though, is that our lives are so much richer -- as are our memories and our stories -- when we move beyond just what we see and include our other senses. There are so many things, for example, that I love about my girls, but one of the most vivid things to me is the way Cami's head smells after she comes in from playing outside. It's an earthy, warm, sunshiny, little kid smell, and it is all her, and it makes me just want to bury my face in the top of her head and breathe in the scent of her childhood and bottle it up forever.

I'd love to see the layouts you make this week that focusing on the physical world -- just post them here in our gallery {stories} and then link us up to the layout over in our forum {tales}.

Don't forget our Book Fair -- we've got a great kit for you from one of our newest designers! Enjoy!

write on,
{storyteller} aud