Friday, September 10, 2010

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!
~~~

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!
~~~

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!


16 X 20in Canvas print of LDS Temple
a canvas print of your choice
in the size of your choice
  Click here to see the pictures you can choose from...



Skittles and Scraps

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



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


Pyper Style Scripture Tote

Come what may poster

"Come What May And Love It." Print

RESERVED FOR - The Family Proclamation Celebration -  Fabric Covered Book of Mormon - Pocket Scriptures

Fabric-covered Book of Mormon (Pocket-sized)

24 comments:

  1. What a beautiful way to display the Proclamation! Thanks for sharing your talents with us!

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  2. thank you for this great tutorial.
    I have a similar thing hanging in my home but I printed the proclamation on Velum then layered it over my picture. I like this version better as you can adjust the brightness of the picture behind it.
    It would make a beautiful Gift.

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  3. a great Christmas gift project for my sons and their families...thanks for the details on how to make it.

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  4. Awesome, that you for sharing your creativity!

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  5. wow...and instructional craft idea that will work not just for The Family but for so many other things, similar. And the best part is that the doctrine literally COVERS the photo you want to keep, just as the atonement COVERS us. We've just celebrated Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) and are leading up to Yom Kippor (day of Atonement)...what a fitting activity to make. But your words make it more special than the actual craft. Thanks for sharing.
    So much!

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  6. This is a fantastic idea. Thank you for sharing it!

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  7. Great Craft. I have seen them with a trasparency, but printing it right on the proclamation is also a great idea.

    Also, came over to add my link...already on there! Thanks Jocelyn. :)

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  8. This is a fantastic idea. I'm totally going to make these as Christmas gift this year. Thanks!

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  9. That is "Sew dang cute" seriously{haha} I am excited to make it!!

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  10. Beautiful photo craft...I must do this for Billy & Jen for Christmas...thanks.

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  11. Wow. I might have to get photoshop just so I can do that. Thanks.

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  12. *GASP* I so know what I'm doing tonight when the kids go to bed instead of figuring out the plan for soccer practice tomorrow! Thanks for the tutorial for this awesome craft!!!

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  13. Love the pictures, I might need one!

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  14. I can't wait to make one. Wait! I don't have photoshop, might have to have you make one when we get a decent family picture. :)

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  15. Wow! What a beautiful project! I also like your comments about the word "love" and how it is used so often in the proclamation. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and talents with us.

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  16. You have a beautiful family. Thanks so much for sharing your insight and your craft. I am so trying that out!

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  17. Wow, great idea! I love that you pointed out that God is part of the family. What a wonderful blessing!
    -CK

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  18. That is beautiful! Thank you for sharing this idea!

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  19. We have our proclamation displayed just like this but we just printed the proclamation on vellum paper that I picked up at a craft store and then framed it over an existing picture of the temple. We also did one for The Living Christ which overlays a picture of the Savior. It is a low tech version of what you made here. I don't have photoshop but would love to... perhaps one day!?!

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  20. I love this idea! I think I have a perfect picture to do it with too!!

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  21. Oooh, I just got Photoshop! What a great first project!

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  22. This is a great idea. I'm going to try this, as soon as I get a good family photo...

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  23. Someone used the engagement photo that was sent with our wedding announcements and made one of these as a wedding gift for us. People comment on it all the time.

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