Family Proclamation Photo Overlay Tutorial

It's been quite an amazing month of posts on the Family Proclamation so far, and we still have a great deal more to look forward to!  I've been edified and inspired by what I've read here, over at Chocolate On My Cranium, and in all of the posts that you've linked up to us both.  

Thank you so much for all that you've added to the discussion this week.

Keep reading.  Keep commenting.  Keep enjoying what others bring to the Party!

Now it's time to get to know our next guest blogger...

She sews.  She cooks.  She blogs.  She runs.

And she shares what she knows generously at Sew Dang Cute!

Take it away, Tam!

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Hi! Tam from Sew Dang Cute here!! I'm really excited to be with you as part of the The Family Proclamation Celebration. Family is EVERYTHING to me!! I was raised in an awesome one,
  and now I have the opportunity to raise my own with my amazing husband.
  I have a fun craft for you today using the The Family: A Proclamation to the World, but first I have to tell you how incredible this proclamation is.

I love how it mentions we are created in God's image. Just think of that...we are divine. We are HIS! We have the potential to become gods and goddesses and have everything that He can give us. Pretty incredible!
Some of my favorite parts are:

"Husband and wife have a solemn responsiblity to love and care for each other and for their children."

"Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandment sof God, and to be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives - mothers and fathers - will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations."

"The FAMILY is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan."


I love this. Did you catch all the times "love" is mentioned in those passages? To me that's what family is all about. I love that God is a part of the family. That is a witness that He has blessed me richly. I couldn't ask for a better husband and father to our children.

  I could go on and on, but I won't.
Instead here is the craft..a Proclamation Overlay.

  Just like the scriptures of old, I wanted to "liken" new revelation to me (1 Nephi 19:23) by making it personal. Enjoy!  I have this hanging up in my home and get asked quite often how I made it.

So...here's how.

*If you want one of these, but don't have Photoshop or simply don't want to make one yourself.... just email the photo you would like to me, and as long as you are a follower, I'll do it for you and email it right back. (sewdangcute@gmail.com)

I used Adobe Photoshop CS3, but this can be done in any version of Photoshop. The first time I made this was in Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0.

1. In Photoshop, click File - New (Ctrl+N). Set the width to 8 inches and height to 10 inches, with at least 200 pixels/inch. (I like to do mine at 300 pixels/inch). Click ok.
  From now on I will refer to this as the project.
2. Open (Ctrl+O) a copy of "The Family: A Proclamation to the World".
  (I got mine by scanning my paper copy and saving it as a jpeg file.) Using your move tool (V), click on the Proclamation, then drag it to your project that you started in step 1.
  Resize by grabbing the dots in the corner with your move tool. Make sure to hold down the shift key while resizing so the width and height change proportionally.
  You should now have your Proclamation all set.
3. Open (Ctrl+O) the photo you would like to use. Using the same method in step 2, drag your image onto your project, and resize as necessary.
4. Now you will notice that your picture is hiding the proclamation. We need to move it behind the proclamation. If you glance over in your layers palette, you will see something similar to this: (If you can't see your layers palette, click on window in the top toolbar and select layers).


To move layer 3 behind layer 2, make sure layer 3 is highlighted in your layers palette (if not, simply click on it in your layers palette), then hit Ctrl+[ (the key right above the quotation mark key).
5. Layer 2 (The Proclamation) should now be showing. Click on it in your layers palette. At the top of your layers palette is an option that says Opacity. Click on the button by 100% and start dragging it lower.
  You will notice your image starting to appear through the proclamation. Play around with the opacity until you have it the way you like it. I chose 40%.

6. That's it! Now we just need to save it. Click File -Save As... (Shift+Ctrl+S). Name it then make sure to change the format to jpeg.
  Now all you have to do is print it off as an 8x10.

You can make them in black & white, color, family, engagement, wedding, etc.
  They make great wedding gifts if you use the couple's wedding announcement photo! Have fun with it and don't hesitate to ask questions if you have any!

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Thanks for taking the time to share this with us, Tam!

Now it's your turn to link-up your Family Proclamation posts from this week:

And remember, I will be choosing winners of the following prizes from all of your comments and link-ups this week. Tune in on Sunday to find out if you won!

a canvas print of your choice

in the size of your choice

by Katie's Clicks

  Click here to see the pictures you can choose from...

a $50 Gift Certificate to the digi-scrapbooking site Skittles & Scraps!

a personalized glass photo keepsake necklace (or item of your choice)

by Little Keepsake's Studio

Pyper Style Scripture Tote

by Spicy Designs

"Come What May And Love It." Print

by The Kiki Comin Shoppe

Fabric-covered Book of Mormon (Pocket-sized)

by Our Happy Home