"Change your thoughts and you change your world." ― Norman Vincent Peale

New to Photo Textures?

by Misti on August 6, 2010

If you’re new to photography, you might be wondering about photo textures…specifically, how to use them. You might even think that adding texture to your photos is much too advanced for a beginner. Well, I’d like to share with you a tutorial I wrote for Love that Shot. In this tutorial, you’ll learn just how easy it is to add beautiful texture to your photos. You’ll learn all the specifics: how to apply a texture, adjust blending modes, and how to smooth out the areas where you don’t want texture to show, such as over skin.

So, if you want to learn how to add texture to your photos, click on over to Love that Shot, and see for yourself how easy it is!

I used the Vienna texture from my Olde World Collection, in Soft Light blending mode at full 100% opacity for this photo. Click here to see the full tutorial!

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Sweet Shot Tuesday | Born Country

by Misti on August 2, 2010

It’s true. I was born country. Just about as country as a gal can get. And although my music choices have veered toward the alternative, I still go back to my roots now and then. In fact, I took a trip back there this weekend…Clay Walker came to town, and I wasn’t about to miss seeing my favorite country singer perform. I mean, it’s Clay Walker!! When it came time to pick my Sweet Shot for the week…it had to be this one!

Edited in Photoshop using Photo Texture from Love that Shot.

Visit Sweet Shot Tuesday for more inspiring photos.

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The Finishing Touches

by Misti on August 2, 2010

If I wasn’t a graphic designer, I think I’d be an event planner. I love throwing parties!

So last fall, when it came time to prepare for my wedding…it was only obvious who would be behind the scenes, dreaming up the decor and designing the invites.  Of course, I needed help. And that’s where my Mom comes in. We’re like two peas in a pod, my Mom and I, we could talk for hours about everything from color combos and refreshments, to the smallest details like what napkins to use. And we love it!

As we were planning away and dreaming up ideas, I began a series of posts on my blog to share these ideas with my readers. I kept up with these posts pretty well. But as you can imagine, things got busy. And busier. And, well…busier…now, oh seven months later…I was inspired to finish up my series of DIY Wedding Adventure posts with the Finishing Touches. So here’s how it all came together…

First off, I must thank my sister, Michelle, for the amazing photography you’ll see in this post. She did a beautiful job photographing my wedding, and I can’t thank her enough! Love you Michelle!

[ The Entrance ]

A beautifully lit garland hung over the entryway to the hall, as small decorative trees lit with white lights welcomed our guests in. On a small table, was my Dad’s gift to us…a tradition among the Tracy gang…a pencil portrait of Steve and I together. It was a lovely welcoming touch for our guests!

[ Setting the Scene ]

The focal point, a large 9 foot Christmas tree, decorated with gold ribbon and dotted with beautiful red ornaments. Underneath the tree is where the gifts were arranged throughout the evening. We also had decorative gold-wrapped packages with beautiful large gold bows under other accent trees behind the receiving line.

[ The Guest Tables ]

What says Christmas more than a gorgeous red poinsettia flower…well, how about fifteen! The guest tables were decorated with these beautiful red plants which sat on top of sheer ribbon, surrounded by snapshots of Steve and I through the years. We finished things off with white faux candles and a sprinkling of crystal glitter to add a nice sparkling glow.

 

[ The Wedding Cake ]

After shopping around, seeing all of the different styles that were available, I had narrowed my choices down to a couple different styles. Each were deliciously beautiful, but I just couldn’t make a definite decision. I wasn’t feeling like either of them were it. The it factor was so important to me, above all other pieces and parts to my reception, the cake had to have the it factor. Then, one afternoon, as Mom and I were shopping at our local Costco, I saw it. Now you’re probably wondering, huh…Costco? But I’m being serious here. We turned the corner to the bakery…and there sat what would become my wedding cake. The All-American chocolate cake…a chocolate cake covered in chocolaty goodness and smothered in chocolate shavings. That was it! I would have three of these cakes sitting side-by-side on beautiful glass pedestals with the addition of an elegant arrangement of flowers for the top of each one…and there it is…my wedding cake…it was perfect! …and delicious too!

To wash it all down, how about some Mango punch flowing from an elegant silver fountain…

Because it’s Steve’s favorite wintery drink, we also made wassail and served it in a beautiful white crock-pot to keep it warm.

[ The Dessert Buffett ]

For the dessert buffet, we decided on traditional Christmas candies, cookies, and nuts. The reason being, I love sugary sweetness and well, what’s a Christmas wedding without the traditional treats!

For the table decoration, we interlaced red and silver sheer ribbon with a string of white lights to add an elegant glow. We arranged on glass dishes: Kirkland Signature European Cookies with Belgian Chocolate, Almond Roca, Lindt Lindor Truffles, Ghirardelli Squares, candy canes, peanuts, almonds, smoked almonds, and cashews. It was a spread to die for!

For our guests, we gave bright red delicious apples as favors.

[ Go Broncos! ]

It’s tradition for the bride to have a special cake for the groom at the reception. It was a no-brainer what the groom’s cake was going to look like…Steve loves football…what’s more is, he’s a die-hard Bronco fan. Need I say more… 

[ The Entertainment ]

As Steve and I exchanged rings in front of our friends and family that evening, my nieces (the two cutest little girls on the planet, in my opinion), dropped red rose petals at our feet. Afterwards, accompanied by his Dad and brothers, Steve sang me Our Song…1, 2, 3, 4 by the Plain White T’s. It was a beautiful evening, I’ll never forget!

…And that is how Steve and I started our lives together as Mr. and Mrs. Thanks for coming along this DIY Wedding Adventure of mine with me!

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Inspired by the Olde World

by Misti on July 31, 2010

I’m always so inpired by the architecture, culture, and flavor of cities like Paris and Vienna. So when I sat down to brainstorm ideas for my new photo texture collection for Love that Shot, I was immediately transported to Europe…figuratively speaking, of course! I began looking at the textures in stone, fabrics, and nature…and found many of the designs you’ll see in this new collection.

I became so enveloped in the concept for my textures that even when I was out on a photo shoot gathering images of flowers with Michelle for her upcoming Blossom Workshop, I couldn’t help but be inspired by the textures all around me. The rough stone walkways, the old wooden fences, the brick…the ideas just kept flowing! I came away with more photos of textures than flowers that evening! My favorite though, would have to be the design I used for both Rome and Paris textures…I looked up from taking a photo of a small bloom, and there it was. A beautiful old wooden crib panel, once used as the gateway into the garden. Visibly battered by the elements, the etching of a rose peeked through the few chips of white paint that still remained. Inspiration like this is what I live for!

I’m super excited about the release of my new collection of photo textures. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed creating them!

Here are a few examples I created using Vienna and Barcelona textures from my Olde World Collection. Click on over to Love that Shot to view the before and afters of these photos and learn more about our debut collection of textures.

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Guidance I’ve Found on My Blogging Adventure

by Misti on July 27, 2010

A week ago I joined a challenge…a challenge to build a better blog in 31 days. Since a lot of my readers here are also bloggers themselves, I thought I would share with you a few articles I ran across today in my research.

The first article, “How to send a personal email” by Seth Godin, was a good refresher on how to write multiple emails without sounding like spam. Nothing kills the personal touch more than unwanted spam. So I say, just be yourself…when you’re writing emails, pretend as if you’re talking to that person directly.

Now here’s a different view I thought was interesting. How about thinking like your readers for a minute with, “10 Reasons Readers Don’t Leave Comments” by Liz Strauss? I loved how this article shifted the way I thought about my blog. I was asking myself, “Do I make these mistakes?” After reading Liz’s article, I made a goal for myself…to write content that will make my reader’s “hands jump to the keyboard”.

This last article caught my eye for two reasons…one, the topic has been rolling around in my head for a few weeks now, and two, how in the world could a person embrace bad comments?! Well, as Jeremy Schoemaker writes in his article, “Why You Should Embrace Negative Press“, there are several reasons negative comments can work in your favor. They generate new visitors who otherwise might not have run across your website. Negative comments mean that someone considers you an authority, why else would they take the time to write about you? He goes over several more points, but the one thing I walked away from the article with was this…if you become well-known enough for someone to leave negative press about you, then you’ve made it…you’re now successful! How’s that for looking on the bright side of things.

I hope you find all of this information as useful as I did. I think there’s always room for improvement in anything we do. I’ve come to this realization in my artwork. I’m always learning and growing…I look back now on the things I created just a few months ago, and I find little things I would do differently.

So, tell me what you think…how have you grown as a blogger? What resources have you found along your blogging adventure that have helped you improve?

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Sweet Shot Tuesday!

by Misti on July 26, 2010

From a very young age, as soon as we’re old enough to hold a crayon, we’re taught our colors…red, yellow, blue, and so on. Then, as we progress in our artistic careers, and we move on to paints, we learn how those colors change as we mix them together. Among all this talk about colors, I’m afraid there is one color that is all too often left out of the conversation…and sometimes not even considered a color at all…a man without a country, you might say. White. It’s so sad. Well, for my Sweet Shot today, I’m putting White front and center. So here you go little guy. It’s your turn to shine…

Photo edited in Photoshop using a Texture from Love that Shot.
For more sweet shots, go check out Sweet Shot Tuesday!

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Giggles | I Heart Faces

by Misti on July 26, 2010

I took a lot of photos at my niece’s fourth birthday party, but this one is my favorite. My sister, Michelle, is usually behind the camera, but the photographer has to be photographed once or twice in her lifetime, right? So this one’s for you Michelle…there’s nothing that says, “I love you, Mom”, more than a huge hug and some giggles…even if the hug and giggles came after several minutes of playing “chase” until this little birthday girl was cornered! Gotcha!

Photo edited in Photoshop using Photo Veils and Textures from Love that Shot.

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My 5 Favorite Sources of Inspiration

by Misti on July 20, 2010

If you’re like me, sometimes you’re just not in the creative groove and no matter how hard you try, the ideas just aren’t coming…so what do I do when I’m stuck in this rut? I’d like to share with you my favorite go-to places to find inspiration.

Magazines   In addition to the popular design magazines, I love thumbing through others like Vogue, Better Homes and Gardens, and Architectural Digest. The idea here is to surround yourself with visually appealing articles, layouts, photographs and type styles.

[ Images taken from Architectural Digest, Vogue, Communication Arts, and How magazines. ]

 

Go Shopping!   That’s right, I said to go shopping. And the best part is that you don’t have to empty your pockets to come away with some amazing ideas! I find the best inspiration when I’m out and about window shopping…filling my mind with current styles, colors, and fashions.

[ Images taken from Anthropologie. ]

 

Hit the Road Jack!   It’s such a treasure when I run across a small town oozing with small-town character. So I say, take some time off, take a drive, and breathe some fresh air into that creative mind of yours!

Go Back to the Basics   I just have a blast when I pull out the crayons and construction paper with my two little nieces. Children have the most unexpected imaginations…so why not tap into that imagination and just have some fun for a change! You’ve heard the saying, “Laughter is the best medicine,” right? Let’s apply that to our wounded creativity…cut loose, color outside the lines, fall in love with your artwork again…

Get Your Groove On   Literally. Nothing get’s the creative juices flowing like a great tune. So turn up the music and groove out to your favorite band. Mix things up a little and listen to a song you’ve never heard before. Tune your mind into a new wavelength and see what happens…

What’s in my iTunes library right now? How ’bout some Owl City, Lights, The All-American Rejects, Yellowcard, Mat Kearney, and Colbie Caillat…just to name a few.

The most important thing you can do to get un-stuck from a creative rut is to think differently…step away from the project at hand and let your brain recharge itself. Most of all…laugh and enjoy the process!

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Sweet Shot Tuesday!

by Misti on July 20, 2010

This is a photo I took a couple weeks ago, and finally got a chance to edit this week. I love this shot, so I just had to make this my Sweet Shot. It’s one of my favorites from a short day trip I took with my Mom and Dad to the lake. These chairs have “come, relax…take a load off” written all over them…ahhhhh….now all I need is an ice-cold lemonade.

Photo has been edited in Photoshop using Textures and Photo Veils by Love that Shot.
For more sweet shots, go check out Sweet Shot Tuesday!

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Sweet Shot Tuesday Time!

by Misti on July 13, 2010

I shared this photo yesterday in my Weekend Update, but I just had to post it again for my Sweet Shot. This is from the Classic Car Cruise downtown this weekend. I’m totally in love with this car…I keep telling Steve I want to get it…not just any one…this one. The color is gorgeous and oh my goodness look at the roof rack…it’s totally ready for the beach!

Photo has been edited in Photoshop using Textures and Photo Veils by Love that Shot.
For more sweet shots, go check out Sweet Shot Tuesday!

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