17th Century Dutch Tile Design

Recently, I’ve been working on recreating 17th Century Tiles to put into a Digital Scrapbooking Kit. I was surprised to find the library had many books on ceramic tiles. I was specifically looking for art that lends itself to background papers without being too busy.

I was searching for alphabets, motifs and symbols. There are lots of different places to find ideas. Wooden Signs, Cake Decorator Motifs, How To books. Looking through an old black and white book on tiles I found this corner that looked like this.

And with a little manipulation and the right colors I ended up with the pattern below. This rendition is really bright, specifically eye-catching for the web but I plan to have other papers that are lighter.

You may copy the image below but…

You must make a comment about whether this kind of art is something that scrapbookers or designers would like to see more of.

17th Century Dutch Tile Design 72×72 pixels.
Makes an interesting desktop pattern.

I currently have some international kits that seem to be fairly popular and my favorite: African Digital Scrapbooking Kit is a top seller. I would like to offer more international kits but I don’t know which country has the most interest.

So, scrapbookers and other interested individuals, help me out here and let me know what kind of art that you find most appealing.

Thanks for reading.

Gram210
…and by the way Gram means grandmother and 10 is 10 grandchildren.

Camouflage Alphabet with Dog Tags

Camouflage Alphabet with Dog Tags

How to create a dashed stroke to an alphabet using Illustrator and fill the letters with Photoshop.

Dashes don’t come out right using Photoshop. You will need to set this up on a page that will accommodate 2.5 to 3 inch letters like 18×18 inches. Using a font like Stencil you type the alphabet out. Then you convert the font to outline. Save the font in a neutral color like yellow. Save the file alpha fill. Next select your type choose nothing for the fill and add a black stroke to your letters, 2 or 3 points using dashes. Set the dashes at 8 and 2 or 3 gap. Set the endpoints to round. Choose the endpoints in the middle of the three choices. Save the file as alpha stroke.

Open a background in Photoshop, then open your alpha fill in Photoshop. Move your alpha fill over your background. Change the background to layer if you haven’t already and place above the alpha. Select the background and then under layer select create clipping mask. Merge visible. Then open your strokes and place over the top of your letters.

Above is the preview of the camouflage alphabet. The letters are a little larger than 2.5 inches. It comes with a layered PSD dog tag that you can just type your name on or a separated PNG file. Also comes with the camouflage background.

Available FREE for a limited time: Download

After expiration you can get this file at: Camouflage Alphabet

Cross Stitch Sampler Alphabet

If you’re the kind of person that likes to know how things are done below is how I created the Cross Stitch Sampler. If you would like for me to add more How To’s to my blog or if you have a question about how something is done let me know.

HOW TO: To make this cross stitch sampler I used Illustrator. I created a vertical line (1/10") .1 inch with a rounded end and rotated 45 degrees and then -45 degrees to make a cross.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX – Grid of X’s .

To make the grid what I did is called a Step and Repeat. In Illustrator you select your object (the X) and then the Enter key and a menu will come up, type in .10 horizontally and then copy. Once you have made the first copy then all you have to do is type Control D on the PC or Command D on the Mac and it will duplicate. You can do step and repeats in Quark, Pagemaker and InDesign also. I repeated the crosses horizontally and then vertically until I had an area bigger than the size of each letter. You will have to scan a pattern to use as a template. Once you have your grid of X’s created then you’ll place it over the pattern and enlarge or reduce the pattern so that it lines up. Select a dominant color and make all the X’s the same color. Then start changing the colors and deleting the X’s until your letter or pattern is done.

Adding texture to the alphabet using Photoshop. The free download includes an effect.jpg that shows the settings used in layers to give the letters an embroidered look. I have also included the style you can use with Photoshop (CS1 and above).

The Cross Stitch Sampler Alphabet is made up of big 3 inch solid colored letters that you can select the color with the eyedropper and change them to suit your project.

I hope you find this Digital Embroidery adds a homespun look to your project and tell everyone you found it at alittledigital.com

For a limited time download a FREE mini sample:

The Cross Stitch Alpha Sampler is a free download for a limited time after the download expires you can get this at:

Cross Stitch Alpha Sampler

Type or copy and paste into your browser:

http://alittledigital.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=19&products_id=114

Easter Scrapbooking Freebie

A Little Digital Has A FREE Mini Sample for Easter.

I hope you find this Easter Digital Scrapbooking Art cheerful and tell everyone you found it at alittledigital.com

If you are looking for a challenge A Little Digital has some art on the blog you can download and enter for a chance to win FREE scrapbooking kits.

While at A Little Digital you will also find FREE kits randomly selected in the shopping cart and tutorials.

For a limited time download a FREE mini sample:

Are you ready for Spring!

Making a Spring Digital Scrapbooking Kit was a journey that took me from the library to dumpster diving for free magazines in the recycle bins. Yeah, that was me going through the bins trying to find ideas while my husband turned his head the other way. Some mother that had outgrown her Girl Scout’s Troop and had thrown a bunch of craft ideas in there and I swooped them up. Then while shopping with my son I convinced him to go into an antique store with me and I found some how to paint magazines from the eighties. You should probably know that I am not an artist, can’t paint, can’t draw and not very good with doodling. However, I can make doodles on the computer and I can turn some old black and white art into new vibrant colored art.

Because I have experience with printing newspapers, I have a good grasp of what prints well and what doesn’t. Sometimes big solid colors and big type are more eye catching than detail. A lot of the art I create is clipart using solid colors and gradients. I found that painting in Photoshop for me is like working with a Sharpie marker and faux painting doesn’t look like faux when I do it and my stamping ability leaves a lot to be desired. My love for Illustrator keeps me bending curves and reshaping flowers, leaves and letters to make something that I can add "WOW" to in Photoshop.

All winter long I’ve been feeding the birds and I wanted my Spring Kit to feature feathered friends. The flowers are no where near coming up around here and I have focused this kit around cross stitch design, birds and butterflies. I really love the look of cross stitched embroidery and making it on the computer saves money on threads, needles and fabric and it adds a homespun look to a background.

I hope you find this Spring Digital Art cheerful and tell everyone you found it at alittledigital.com

For a limited time download a FREE mini sample:

Valentine’s Day Digital Freebie

Valentine’s Day Digital
Scrapbooking Freebie

Romantical hearts to fall in love with.

FREE sample using the below art.

Download FREE sample above:

COUPONS WORTH UP TO $72 INCLUDED WITH ABOVE DOWNLOAD

The get the complete Valentine’s Kit :

 Includes: lots of different hearts to show that special person how much you love them. Kit comes with eight 12×12 background papers. Elements include hearts, cupid, photo frame, rose, sunny face and a heart looped doodle.

FREEBIE – Vintage Nostalgic Art

The state of the economy has taken its toll all around me as more and more people are being laid off and people that are left have to work harder and harder and are asked to work less hours. The people that are losing jobs are the ones that are being paid the most with longer vacations and the others that lose their jobs are the ones that are not versatile enough to keep up with new responsibilities. I am fortunate that I am still employed.

My second job, A Little Digital, the website that I’ve been struggling to get going is a one woman show and in its second year. Keeping the home page updated and creating new kits is challenging. It seems overwhelming at times especially when more money is spent on advertising than what is being brought in. Offering FREEBIES makes me feel like the scrapbookers out there appreciate my art and all my effort is not in vain.

My latest venture with Vintage art was started last year and was finally finished this month.

I am offering a FREE sample using the below art.

Download FREE sample above:

COUPONS WORTH UP TO $72 INCLUDED WITH ABOVE DOWNLOAD

In the FREE sample zipped file that you download you will find coupons for the next 12 months. These coupons may be used twice and are worth $3.00 off with a $5.00 purchase. If you were to use all of them you could save up to $72. You may distribute the coupons freely.

The complete Vintage Digital Scrapbooking Kit includes:

Nostalgic scrapbooking kit designed to bring out the old with the new. Kit comes with 15 vintage 12×12 background papers. (14 shown as rolls). Elements include 3 ribbons, tiger lily, rick rack , rick rack photo frames, damask elements, rock photo frame and a 12 x12 png file with the following words: Hot Rods, Faith, Family, Hokey Pokey, Stick Ball, Horse & Buggy, Full Service Gas Stations, Drive Ins, Vintage Art, Hoop Skirts, Zoot Suits, Betty Boop, The Way We Were, Soda Fountain, Board Games, Flappers, Jitterbug, Magic 8-Ball, Swing Dancing, Pony Tails, Happy Days, Ice Cream Parlour, Story Books, Fireside Chats, Fun! and Made In U.S.A.

Winter Blues

Digital Scrapbooking Seasonal Headlines Freebie!

Seasonal Titles Freebies!

I’m working on titles to include winter, Christmas, seasonal and words to embellish the holiday spirit. I’m offering some free samples for a limited time.

Winter and Seasonal Titles

Limited time offer.

Free Download

When I have more time, I will be able to create some papers to go with these.

If you’re looking for a Christmas digital scrapbooking kit check out

http://www.alittledigital.com

pencil alphabet

Digital Scrapbooking Alphabet!

ABC Alphabet!

After looking at a book with 50 amazing new alphabets, I decided, "I can do that!" and proceeded on the computer.  I have bone spurs in my fingers so using pencils and pens are tedious and the results shaky so I prefer to use the computer. Finding the right fonts and roughening them or bringing them into Photoshop and adding some filters to bring them to life sometimes seems like magic.

PENCIL ALPHABET

Because the alphabet has been downloaded over 300 times download has expired.

You may purchase this for only $1.00 at

http://alittledigital.com/catalog

For all of you Back to School Scrapbookers that haven’t quite finished up or just want to journal the year for your child here’s a font that depicts learning the abc’s.

There are 2 more new fonts: A more elegant font called Amanda another font called Woodsey for camping or outdoor adventures.

I can save either of these fonts uncolored and post them as a PSD or a PDF. Please send me a note and let me know if that is something that you would like.

African Digital Scrapbooking FREEBIE

African Safari Digital
Scrapbooking Kit FREEBIE!

This African Scrapbooking Kit required a lot of research. I checked out many books from the library to find masks and art that were suitable that I could recreate. Then I went to the zoo and what a lot of fun that was. I really wanted to get more animal photos but as you already know they can be most uncooperative. The giraffes were very agreeable to being photographed and had no problem getting right up into your face. My latest terrific idea is to ask people if I can photograph their children. Children photograph so much better when they don’t know they are the center of interest and the best part is that the activity such as going to the zoo is what the kids are doing and not trying to make the art fit around the child, but fitting the child around the art.

I would like to offer a mini version of the African Kit for FREE and if you like it then you can purchase the full kit from alittledigital. Please let me know what you think. I have placed the photos of the children as samples in alittledigital’s shop so you can see all the wonderful things that you can do with this art.

Click for kit and samples of kit

Free download: Mini African Kit

$5.00* off
your next digital download.

Pick the kits or the CDs from the shop that you would like

and upon checkout enter the following code

a9a492b365

This number must be placed in the coupon code.
Do not place into the Gift Certificate code.
First time users only.

FINE TYPE
*You must spend $8.00 to receive the $5.00 off. Coupon must be used on your first check in and doesn’t work if you download any of the FREEBIES. Coupon good for 1 visit, 1 use only. Coupon expires November 15, 2008