The Third Set

Here is the sketch for the third set of pages we are doing for June.

June, July, and August

Remember we are skipping July for our class and adding a 2 page layout for June and for August.
So that means we will be doing 6 pages in June and 6 pages in August. Please plan accordingly for time in these classes. I have tried to make them simple but I do think that they will take at least 1/2 hour longer if not an hour.
Class this month is June 14, We will try to follow the format of the second Sunday of the month. August is again going to be a problem with the dates, August 2 and 9 is diffently out for me, so I need you to vote on the 16 or 23. Majority Rules.
If you can not post on the blog, please email me at childsplay@woh.rr.com with your vote. DO NOT DO BOTH!
Thanks
deb

Second Page Sketch

Here is the second sketch we will be working on for class. The layout for this sketch has always been a favorite of mine and I seen it done as school pages at archivers. Thought it would be perfect to use as those elementary school photos.

Same as the previous you may choose this sketch to be entered in the drawing. Just make a page using your redention of this sketch to be entered. Bring it with you to class.'

deb

Sketches 2

This is the sketch I have chosen to use for the pre-school page.

Sketches

I am going to post the sketches we will be doing this month at Child's Play.

I thought another contest would be fun. So in the next few days I will post all three two page spread sketches.

You can take any of the three and make a two page spread and bring it to Child's Play to share what you have done with it.

Your name will be entered into a drawing to receive a special prise.

That way we can see different ways that sketches are enterprited. (not sure that is a word : ) )

So next post will enclude the first sketch.

Eyelets

One of the requests on the informational forms was how to set eyelets. Now I am not sure if the problem lyes with tools, spacing or when it is a good idea to use eyelets but I did come across a nice site which has photos and directions on the proper way to set eyelets. It explains it better than I could, but I will answer any questions that you have . Just ask away.

http://www.scrapjazz.com/topics/Techniques/Eyelets/32.php

So check this out and see if it helps, if you need more questions answered about any scrapbook questions ask away, I will try to find the answers for you.

deb

Stamps

Rubber Stamps, clear acrylics, which do you like? I really don't do enough with stamps to have an opinion. I did come to the conclusion that all acrylics stamps are not created equal.

Some stamp so much better than others. I am not sure looking at them how you tell the difference. I know price is not the key either. I guess you need to keep a log and keep track by manufacture which stamp better than others.

I seem to buy buy buy and then find out later I might not like certain things and I am trying hard not to do that anymore. So if I don't know if I like a certain manufactures items than I need to do research to find out if it is worth the purchase or not. How many times will I use it, in comparison to the cost.

So how about helping out and post your favorite item you are using right now. What makes it your favorite and why you would recommend someone to purchase it.

How about acrylic stamps do you have a favortie brand, a favorite stamp?

Let us know what you think.
If you comment you might just get in a drawing to win a little something.

Pages

Just a reminder about my pages. Remember that all of my pages are influenced by sketches or pages I have seen someplace somewhere. I have never made a point of documenting where I get my ideas from, so it is what it is.

We will see how this works. Hope it works for all of you.

deb

Class

Well we finished the first class and I think it went well. A few tweaks to make to next months.
All of you did a great job on putting your pages together. I hope you all had a good time.

A couple questions. Did you like working at your own pace or would you rather have the class follow me and do everything at the same rate?

Are there any pages that you particularly want us to do. Titles, techniques or styles?

Next months class will be June 12, 2:00 - 5:00. We will be doing three 2 page spreads.

I am going to have soup every month, others did bring things to snack on. (which everything was delicious). If you want to participate in bring things to snack on you may but it is not manditory. I only ask that you guys decide who and what you want to bring. My opinion is that not everyone needs to bring something every month. That two or three could bring one month and then a couple others could bring the next.

This blog is really for your information. You do not have to participate. If you don't want to even come check and see what is new that is okay. You don't have to join google and post. That is all a decison you can make for yourself.

I am just trying to find an easy way that we can stay connected, and a inexpensive way that I can have to put the pages up so you can reference them.

I will get the pages posted this week. Would you like the sketches posted also.

Please answer the questions in the comments below. Majority rules.

hugs
deb

Transferring Photos

I found this article on bobbrooks.com and thought it explained transferring your photos really well.
I am trying to help you learn but will not do all the work for you, so if you are not familiar with a term or word, you can google it. Google it means looking it up on the internet, Google is a search engine. Well google is a lot more now but started as just a search engine.
So if you really want to learn things I am more than welling to help, but I am busy too and a little common sense and you can figure it out. I know I have had to learn it also. Sometimes it is easier to have someone else do it for us but than we don't learn or retain the information, so just like in school, look it up, no excuses, we can learn anything, it is whether we really want to, or do we take the easy way. I have chosen to learn all I can, get out of my comfort zone. Yep somethings I don't do because I don't feel they are worth the effort, but many more I am doing. So I challenge you for next months class if you can learn to download photos from your computer, by instructions, I will have a gift for each of you who do this. This means do not use a priority program but do it from windows, and talk me thru doing it.

Now the instructions:

UPLOADING YOUR IMAGE FILES FROM YOUR DIGITAL CAMERA TO YOUR COMPUTER
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

The first step in using your digital photographs is getting them off your camera and onto your computer. You have a choice of two methods to upload the image files from your digital media card to your computer–directly, using a USB cable from your camera to your computer, or by using a digital media reader connected to your computer through your USB port.

CAUTION: It's important not to lose any data when transferring your images. Some software offers to change the resolution or otherwise edit your images during the transfer process. Don't let this tempt you to take shortcuts–you should always save an original, or RAW, file from which to work, allowing you to revert to an original photograph should your editing go wrong.

UPLOADING DIRECTLY FROM CAMERA TO COMPUTER:

1. Install the software that came bundled with your camera and assemble all the transfer hardware that you have as well.

2. Use the AC adapter for your camera when transferring images directly to your computer. Don’t use your battery power if you don’t have to.

3. Connect the USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable that came with your camera to the camera and then insert the square plug into the USB port on the back or front of your computer.


NOTE: Cabled transfer is the slowest form of image transfer, but usually is the only way to view camera functions and photographic file information. Some cable solutions allow you to actually control your camera, including taking pictures directly to your computer. Cabled transfer requires that your PC interconnect with your camera's electronics and software, so it depends on your manufacturer’s transfer software to complete the process.

4. Some forms of transfer software may even work like other device drivers for your computer, making the camera show up as a device alongside your hard disk, CD-ROM drive, or printer. Software of this type allows the greatest flexibility, because it allows you to transfer your photographs without otherwise processing the images.


USING A DIGITAL MEDIA READERMost digital cameras today use a removeable ditigal media card to store photographs. With one of these cards, you can directly access the files as you would any other type of disk. To do this, you will need a digital media reader, a device, that when plugged into your USB port on your computer, allows you to access it like either a hard drive or floppy disk. You shouldn’t have to spend more than $10 to buy a multi-card reader. Using this method, you can transfer your image files at hard disk speeds. And with the size of image files in newer digital cameras, this is a plus.

1. Plug the reader into your USB port. If you can, leave it plugged in. But you may find that you only have one or two USB ports. Purchase a USB hub (the USB equivalent to an electrical power strip) for about $10, so that you have USB ports available for all your devices.

2. Insert your digital media card into the reader.

3. Click on My Computer and then double click on Removeable Disk (whatever letter your computer assigned to it. This will open a window for your reader in which you will find a folder icon.

4. Double click on the folder icon in your Removeable Disk window and it will open it up to reveal all the photo files on the card.

5. Go back to My Computer and double click on your hard drive. This will open a second window for it. Create a master folder called IMAGES. Open this and then create a new folder for each photo session. DO NOT put all your photo files in one folder.

6. Reduce the size of both the C: Drive window and the Removeable Disk window by clicking on the center icon at the top right corner of your screen. This will make both smaller than the full screen.

7. In the Removeable Disk window, go to EDIT at the top of the window and click on SELECT ALL. This will highlight all the files in the window.

8. Carefully put your cursor on any file that highlighted and click on it. While holding down the mouse button, drag your cursor–and the files–over to your new photo session folder on your hard disk. The files will automatically begin to upload to your computer.

9. When the process is finished, go back to your Removeable Disk window. Go to EDIT once again, and once again click SELECT ALL. Then click delete. All the files will then be deleted and you’ll have a fresh disk to insert into your camera for more photos.


NOTE: DO NOT take your digital media card out of the reader until you close the Removeable Disk window and wait a few seconds. This gives your computer’s hard drive a chance to register the transfer.

If you have questions you may ask them at the class once everyone is here, I will not be repeating things at these classes so you must pay attention. If we have to repeat, we will not beable to complete the pages in the time period allowed.
Thanks for underestanding.

Comments

I know I said that the next post would be about saving photos to a cd, but I have had many questions on how to post a comment.

If you look at the bottom of each post there is a place to click. It is labeled "comments"
If you click on it than you can write a little something back to me. So it could be a question or a comment.

Hope this helps.
If you don't post a comment you are not entered into the drawing.
It is so funny the older we get the less we think we have to follow the rules.
So that is the rule. You have to post a comment on the blog to be entered into the contest. It must be posted under the previous post to count for this month.
thanks
deb

Photos

Well I think most of us have moved to the digital photo craze. I hear comments constantly on where are my photos, how do I get my photos off my camera. I can't print my photos.

So I think we need basic photo information.

If you have a digital camera, you either have internal storage (usually a small amount of mega bytes) or a digital storage card that fits into your camera. These cards are called "memory cards" There are several different sizes of memory cards. They are labeled both in type and size. The two main types of memory cards in use today are Compact Flash and Secure Digital. This is the type of card and is also the physical size of the card.
The size of the card is measured by megabytes and determines how many files you can fit on your card or store in your camera.
The files are your negatives. Remember negatives from days gone by? How did you store your negatives? Did you keep them in a file cabinet? How about in the junk drawer. When cleaning out things have you came across them old negatives and been disappointed in not being able to see the photos that was take. If you kept them in the photo sleeves and stored them in a dark dry place you can have them reprinted.
You need to store your digital negatives safely also.
I know some of you go out and buy a new card, when your card gets full. Some of you have cds made at the photo store. Neither of these are bad, but also not the most frugal or effective storage system.
You have the means to store these on your computers and also make your own cds.
I always make 3 cds, and store one of them at my sons house. That way if anything happens I can still make copies of my photos.

My next post will walk you through loading your photos to your computer and making a cd of your photos. We will do this without using any camera or photo editing programs so you will always be able to get to your photos.

Just around the Corner

The class will be starting soon and I have heard from 7 of the people who originally signed up.


If you have not sent your form back in, please do so soon.
For the month of May we will be doing 5 pages.


A title page, a baby page, and a toddler page.