Step Out Of Your Comfort Zone - Pt 2

Hi it's Pam again sharing another day of stepping out of your comfort zone. Please refer to last Friday's post to see my first ten ways of stepping out of my comfort zone.  Here are ten more pages and how I stepped it up for each page!

1. Use digital circular text in a cool way.
This first page I created in April of 2008 utilizes a pre-made digital circle template and repeating it over and over within the next line. This was totally new to me - I just went with an idea!  I created it using this technique:
1.  Open circular text path in Adobe Photoshop Elements.  I used Jen Lessinger Follow the Path.  Go to File, new document, dimensions 3600 by 3600 pixels, 300 dpi, RGB color.  Click on the move tool.  Drag the circular text onto your new document. 
2.  Place the circular text onto the left side of the document with only half of it showing.  Click on the sides to resize shrink or enlarge your text. Click on the Horizontal Type tool and type in your first line of text.  I used the font Garamond, size 40, black color.  Click on the move tool again.  Rotate the text in the half circle to fit from end to end on the left side.
3.  Click and drag another circle path onto the document.  Resize it to fit inside the other circle.  Change the font once again to Garamond, size 40, black color.  Type in a new line of text.  Rotate as needed to fit inside the larger half circle.
4.  Repeat this step until you have all of your text.  Make sure that each half circle is size 40.  Go under Layer and flatten your document.  Print the desired size to fit the layout.

2. Create your own die cut paper.
On  my next page (created in June 2008) I actually used my Coluzzle (which has been discontinued forever :( :( ) to cut out circles which were connected. There must be another way to achieve this look, just not sure how? This layout is based on a sketch by Creative Scrappers.

3.  Use many colors in a interesting way - get inspiration from another scrapper.
This was totally inspired by a page by Elizabeth Kartchner that was in CK magazine. This layout (created in Jul 2008) was way out of my comfort zone.. I wanted to make something similar but different so I again used my Coluzzle and picked lots of monochromatic colors to create this cool look.

4. Use Photoshop Elements to create a neat wavy look.
This layout I created in Jan. 2009 shares how I was really trying to challenge myself. I used the cookie cutter tool with three photos that I cropped. Next, I added text to fit the empty space. :)

5. Make design pop by using black and white photos and lots of bold colors.
Here is a page I created back in Jan 2009 using my favorite colors in a fan design. I haven't experimented too much with GIANT shapes, so this was the first time I really went with it. See how much the photos pop when you use color and black & white. You can see a template very similar to this design here.

 

6. Go with a giant flower design.

Here is a page that took lots of planning to create a giant flower which was challenging. I created this page in Jun. 2009 and I designed it all in Photoshop and printing each template out to be traced over paper. You can actually download this template here.

 7. Let the motion in your photo inspire your design.

Here is yet another page (created in July 2009) where I really stepped out of my comfort zone. I was inspired so much by the curvy slides I created a page that would reflect that. As you can see there is lots of motion in this page. A very similar template is available as well here.

8. Go hybrid for almost an entire page!

This page created also in July 2009 shows how I went almost all hybrid. Each square was created out of digital paper and printed out. I also edited the photo in Photoshop Elements. The only real things are the text paper and background kraft paper.

9. Use pop dots to create a eye popping page.

I created this in June 2010 and it was ONE of the first times I used pop dots a lot of on a page. I feel like I missed out on pop dots for years. For this page, the challenge was to create a sort of stop-go page with my soccer photos. Pop dots did the trick for me.

10. Be Inspired by a patterned paper and create a design.

My last page I am sharing completed in Sept. 2010 is displaying how you can be inspired by patterned paper and create your own design. This was inspired by a piece of Bo Bunny paper I own. I challenged myself to step out of my comfort zone and draw the water splashes.

Next week I will be sharing examples of how the contributors stepped out of their comfort zones. Want to share how you stepped out of your comfort zone? Send me an email at scrappingpam73@yahoo.com with your page and how you got creative! **Btw- if you sent me an example last week please send it again. I was having trouble with deleting emails last week.