Blog Hop: Win it Before You Buy it!—Everyday Storyteller 2
By Linda Sattgast
Everyday Storyteller 2 is a brand new idea book offering more than 100 tips, tricks, and techniques for scrapbooking. I’m one of the 33 memory keepers who have contributed a chapter to this book. My topic is using Actions to speed up the process of scrapbooking. (See below for a sneak preview and a free action to download!)
All 33 memory keepers featured in Everyday Storyteller 2 are sharing different aspects of how they capture moments, tell stories, and document their best memories. Sign up for the VIP list to be the first to know when the book is released and receive an exclusive discount.
Win a Free Book!
Each book contributor participating in the blog hop is giving away an eBook copy of Everyday Storyteller 2. Use this entry link or click the graphic below to complete your entry form. You must enter by 11:59pm PDT on April 30, 2013 to be eligible. You may enter from each blog listed below. Winners will be contacted directly as well as posted at everydaystoryteller.com on May 1, 2013.
Here’s a list of the other blogs participating—you may enter from each blog, if you wish, to increase your chances of winning.
Tangie Baxter
Kerri Bradford
Joscelyne Cutchens
Catherine Davis
Patty Debowski
Lisa Dickinson
Karla Dudley
Leah Farquharson
Karen Grunberg
Jenni Hufford
Donna Jannuzzi
Amanda Jones
Mandy Koeppen
Riikka Kovasin
Kami Leonard
Amy Mallory
Amy Martin
Ann-Marie Morris
Celine Navarro
Lynnette Penacho
Kelly Purkey
Krista Sahlin
Linda Sattgast << You are here
Cindy Schneider
Wendy Smedley
Elisha Snow
Amy Sorensen
Neisha Sykes
Jill Sprott
Laura Vegas
Allison Waken
Crystal Wilkerson
Jennifer Wilson
My Topic: Actions!
My topic in Everyday Storyteller 2 is about Photoshop Actions. I use actions to help shave off minutes here and there when I’m scrapbooking. Now that actions are easy to load and use in Photoshop Elements 11, even more scrapbookers can take advantage of this wonderful tool!
One of the actions I use the most for digital scrapbooking is my DS Custom Drop Shadows action. (DS stands for Digital Scrapper.) Photoshop drop shadows are so uniform that they often look “digital” and therefore not as realistic at times. With custom drop shadows you can vary the distance from the object, making the shadow more like a real drop shadow. My action will quickly create a custom drop shadow layer for you that you can manipulate to look “real.”
In the example below I’ve pointed arrows to all the places where I used a custom drop shadow:
Below is another example of what you can do with a custom drop shadow on ribbons and flowers. For these I actually used a double drop shadow, which is one of the choices in my drop shadow action.
Download My Custom Shadow Action
If you would like to try out my (new and improved!) custom drop shadow for personal or commercial use (read the Terms of Use for particulars), click on the button to download the action.
If you have a version of Photoshop Elements that doesn’t have an Actions panel, or if you’ve never made a custom drop shadow before, you can watch a video I made on how to create your own custom drop shadow from scratch.
If you do have the capability to use the custom drop shadow action, this video will also show you how to adjust the shadow so it looks custom.
I hope you enjoy this action and that you’ll have a chance to read my article about actions in Everyday Storyteller 2!
P.S. For more free actions, become a Plus member—it’s free and easy to join!
I use many of the techniques found on your blog. Your explanations and how to videos are exceptional – thanks so much!
I’m glad you enjoy my tutorials, Pat—thanks!
Thanks Linda, having great fun at the moment going through the Premier video’s, really enjoying learning! x
That’s great to hear! xoxo
This is fabulous!! Thank you so much, Linda!! You have given me an awesome tool to customize my LO’s with doing minimal work!
I’m all for minimal work. 🙂 Might as well spend more time scrapbooking and less time creating a cool effect!
Thanks for the Action !!!
Thank you. Custom drop shadows are wonderful. I watched the video and practiced. Now you have made it so easy.
Thanks Linda! Love your custom drop shadows! What a wonderful tool to making more realistic pages!
Thank you for the opportunity to win!
Thanks for the action! I always could use extra help on my shadows.
Thanks for a chance to win the e-book.I use your drop shadow action all the time, I love it.
Hi Rikki—just to let you know, this is a new and improved version of my drop shadow action. I tweaked it so it would work better in certain scenarios, like when you use the Scrap It Now templates that already have a layer style and drop shadow. It doesn’t copy the style to the drop shadow layer.
Thank you for the chance to win such a great resource! And the action is a fantastic addition to your DS Dropshadow styles!
Thanks, Linda. I didn’t know you could do a custom drop shadow with an action! It will really help.
This will save you a lot of time if you use custom shadows very often!
Oh, as a digital dum-dum I am really looking forward to your chapter! 😉
Your article sounds really helpful! I’m just learning photoshop!
That’s great, Miriam! If you’re signed up for our newsletter, you’ll get a Digi Scrap Tutorial every week to practice with.
Thank you, Linda! I can’t wait to get my hands on that book! 🙂 and thank you for the action.
That’s good to know, Linda and Rikki. I wasn’t going to download this since I use your action already but if it is new and improved I will get it. Thanks!
Thank so much Linda. I know very little about Actions and I can’t wait to learn something new!
Thanks so much Linda for the “New & Improved” drop shadow action. I have the your previous one and can’t wait to see how this one works! Thanks also for the chance to win the book 🙂
I’m just learning about Photoshop Elements as I take baby steps in my storytelling journey. Thank you for the freebie action (can’t wait to try it) and thank you for the chance to win a free copy of the book.
looking forward to reading your part of the book!
Thx so much for the awesome action!! 🙂 Can’t wait to try it out!!
Thanks for the opportunity to win the book.