Hello and Happy Saturday to you! I have fun new element pack on sale today called Retro Camera Effects:

I created this frame set because I am in LOVE with apps on my phone that will let me do cool things to the photos I take when I’m out and about. But what about the photos I take at other times? Or my older digital pictures that might look cool if they were dirtied up a little?

Included in this frame pack you will find three options for your finished size—2×2, 3×3 and 4×4. There are two styles for each size (one that’s square and one that has rounded edges). And each frame comes in three colors (black, white and off-white). There are a total of 18 frames included!

Also included you’ll find 4 colored overlay sheets (that are large enough to cover a full size photo) and three vignettes. You can use these pieces in various ways to get different effects for different photos!

I thought I’d spend some time today and show you just how you can use it to give your photos a hip and retro feel.

#1:

First, you’ll want to decide what size you want your photo to be when it’s done. Then you’ll need to gather all your files and open:

• >>> Your photo
• >>> A clipping mask
• >>> One of the colored overlay sheets
• >>> A vignette
• >>> A frame

Once you have all these pieces ready, you can begin to assemble your snapshot!

#2:

Layer your photo over the clipping mask and then clip the image to the base. There are a few ways to do this in Photoshop. You can look in your menu under Layer > Create Clipping Mask. It may even tell you in that menu what the keyboard shortcut is (sometimes it’s CTRL+G or CTRL+ALT+G; you can even change this if you go to Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts).

Once you have clipped your photo to the mask, you can resize or reposition it until it looks perfect!

#3:

Now, copy over your “dirty” layers—the colored overlay and the vignette. Layer these over your photo and clip them on top.

You will want to play around with the Blend Mode for these layers until you achieve the look you are going for. Overlay and Soft Light mode are two common choices. Don’t forget to also play with the Opacity. Maybe 100% looks good. Maybe 50% is better! Or maybe TWO layers of color look amazing. Mess around and have fun. It’s totally customizable!

Also, since the colored overlays are large, be sure to drag them around until you find the sweet spot that makes your photo look awesome! This way, you have a little more control over where things are lighter and where they are darker.

#4:

For the final step, copy and paste your favorite frame as the topmost layer on top of everything else (no clipping required—it will fit perfectly).

Make any final adjustments to nudge your photo or overlays around and save your image. Copy everything (Select All and CTRL+Shift+C) and paste it on to your page. Now you have a retro look!

Now for some creative beauty! Here’s a lovely page from Nikki (also using He Said, She Said):

And here are some beautiful layouts from the SugarBabes for you! Here’s one from Lex:

Mary:

Lydia:

Laura:

And the fabulous Misty Cato herself!

Hope you enjoy using these new frames. Happy Scrapping!

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