How To: Turn a Man To Stone

Besides asking for his credit card. ;)

I started playing around in Photoshop today and for some odd reason thought it would be fun to turn Sean into an old stone statue.  It really didnt even take too long.  Ok fine, I played around a lot and it took me almost two hours BUT if you decided to play, it probably wont take as long because I was stopping to take screen shots for a tutorial as well.  This tutorial is for people who are fairly familiar with their photo editing software.  I did mine in PS but I am sure it could easily be done in other programs as well.

1.  Decide on a photo.  I chose one of Sean because he looks so regal.  HAHAHA!

2.  Extract the image from the background.  I use the Polygonal Lasso Tool because I feel I have better control.  Simply trace along the outside of your image, invert your selection,CTRL-Shift-I, and delete.

3. Desaturate and optimize Contrast.  Next I simply desaturated the photo, CTRL-Shift-U, and then I added a wee bit of contrast, Image-Adjustments-Brightness/Contrast.

4.  Edit the eyes.  Statues generally do not have eyes so we have to get rid of them.  I simple used my Polygonal Lasso tool again to trace the eyes.   On a new layer above my extracted image, I simply used the Paint Bucket to fill in the areas with a light grey color.  Now we cannot just leave this because it would not be correct.  We need to add some shading so the eyes look like they belong there.  Simply add an Inner Shadow to the layer.  You want something a little dark and a touch of noise, so its not too smooth.  Merge the two layers, CTRL-E.

5.  Add Texture!  You can use as many, or as little, texture layers as you want.  I imagine using just one would be more then sufficient but I was really playing around with this.  I ended up with three different texture layers.  The first one a simple gray pebbled stone texture, the next a more yellow mossy texture and finally a crack from a picture of cement.  I just clipped the texture onto my extracted imagine, CTRL-ALT-G, and then played with the blend modes, generally ending up with Multiply and then adjusting the Opacity of the layer to suit my photo.  On my Crack layer I also added a slight down bevel to give it some more realism.

6.  Add Depth.   With my final image completed I thought it needed a tad bit of shadowing there on the left side so I added a simple Inner Shadow to the layer, very lightly.  Then I added a background.  I chose a photo of the view Sean was looking at in this photo.  I added a great deal of blur to the background image with the Gaussian Blur tool, Filter-Blur-Gaussian Blur, to give it lots of depth and using the Lighting Effects tool, Filter-Render-Lighting Effects, I added a bit of sunlight coming from the upper left of the photo towards Sean's face.  I also added a wee bit of Dodging/Burning to highlight some areas that lost some of the detail.  Just play around and have fun!

I have no idea what I could possibly do with this but I had fun.  Hope you do as well.  If you decided to do this tutorial please link me up.  Holler if you have any questions.  :)

Here are the textures I used if you are interested.  I took these myself with the old camera and never used them.  These are for PERSONAL USE ONLY.   Just click on the image for the full size.  I wanted to use all my own photos but there are lots of Stock Exchange sites out there that offer free downloads of marble, stone, other textures, etc., that would work wonderfully.

Please do not use any part of this tutorial, or these images, on any other site/blog, without my consent.  Thanks so much!

Just when my hope was high.

It is storming outside.  All day.  Remember yesterday when I was full of the glow of hope?  Hope that some day my world would not be covered in ice?  Shattered.  *sigh*  Connor had no school today and may not have any tomorrow either.  He is rather happy about it but I am hoping for school.  He was so full of energy today that he wiped me out.  The nicest part of our day was definitely when I tucked him in for the night.  He read me a silly story about dinosaurs tonight and just laughed through out all the pages.  What a joy it is to have a child who loves to read as much as I do.  My photo of the day is him waiting for me to come in with him.

Day 30

Every Monday night at 10PM EST we meet at the Guild for a Inspired by Art chat.  Last night we talked about creating layouts using sketches.  Here is the February sketch!  If you are interested in taking part, you can find out all of the details here.

I created a layout using the kit and then decided right before I posted that I would rather use Christine Haskell's kit Full Tilt, available at NDISB, so I redid the whole thing. 

I am addicted to Etsy.  I have literally lost hours just searching through the pages and finding all sorts of little treasures.  Some of these people just make my chin drop.  They amaze me.  I want to buy everything I see.  Well, almost everything.  Today I stumbled across this couple and they made me laugh.  Out loud.  If you have a slightly twisted sense of humor then you have to check out their line of greeting cards.

Check some of these out!  All photos from Etsy.

There are some nicer ones and some funnier ones.  ;)  I bought a sweet one for Sean for his birthday but dont tell him.  I cant share it here because he does occasionally glance this way.

Time for me to go watch the Biggest Loser.  Oh btw, I am now down 14lbs.  GO ME! :)

It feels good!

Today it was above freezing and I was just dying to get out and do something active.  So when I went to pick up Connor at school and we went over to the track.  I picked up where I left off three weeks ago on the C25K, Week 4.  It was a bit of a struggle at the end but I made it.  I do not believe I have ever been prouder of myself.  With the exception of making it through childbirth alive that is. ;)  I brought Connor his camera so he could take some photos but he only took one.  I slowed down until he took it.  It felt good and I have felt happier since I came back.  Canadian winters can be long and so depressing.  I hope the weather stays warmer and we are able to leave the house more.  I could even see a big difference in Connor.  Just being able to spend an hour outside running and screaming just made his day.

I have been scrapping again today!  It feels so good to create!

These are some of the photos that Connor has snapped over the last little while.  I want to eventually set up a small website for him to share his photos.  I want to encourage him to be the best he can be.  This kit is Little Andres by Loretta Labarca at NDSIB.

My photo of the day is a self-portrait that I took as soon as I came in from running.  Me, oh natural, no make up, no Photoshop, all flushed and sweaty!  lol

We chose our new Creative Team members over at the Guild.  Please stop by our Creative Gigis blog and check out their amazing pages!

Welcome Home

When I unzipped this month's Guild kit I was able to create layouts in no time at all.  No stressing, no deleting half finished layouts, no just throwing my hands up and walking away from the computer.  Want to see what inspired me? What to see what I made?  It makes me so excited to know that I am back in the game!  :)

Something Sweet and Sentimental

Here is what I made with it!

(Also used Artemasks Vol 2 by Amy Head and Sketchbook Alpha by Kate Hadfield)

Some photos of the day!

Day 25

Connor gave me this card for my birthday on Thursday.

Day  26

My parents gave me this mug for my birthday on Thursday.

Day 27

Sean and Andrea were watching TV when I remembered that I had not snapped any photos.  Sean caught me and I tried to do it without the flash or anything!  He is THAT good!  lol

Day 28

Emma wanted me to take a picture of her and her Daddy.  Well Mark was talking and not paying attention so she slapped him in the face and said, You smile now Daddy.  lol  Do you not love the expression on my brother's face?  I think its hilarious! 

Have a good day!

Dr. McQT

Yesterday we all headed to the doctor's together for a big family gathering.  Seriously, my mother, my father and Connor all had appointments one right after the other.  It was a Head clan party.  :)  Connor apparently has asthma and needs two inhalers a day, four times a day.  Ick.  He is thoroughly  enthused about the whole idea and eagerly asks when he will be able to breath again.  Yuppers, thats my boy.  Today while I was attempting to get everything together he was bouncing everywhere.  I looked up to the sky said quietly, "Lord, give me the strength to deal with this child today."  Connor looked at me, as bright as ever and said, "Jesus said to tell you that all you have to do is love me."  Awwwww how adorable is that?  I could not help but laugh.  Such a good kid.  The doctor asked if anyone smokes around Connor.  I said the only people in his life who smoke are his two grandmothers, who go outside to smoke.  (Not that that helps much)  He looked at my mother and said, "Quit smoking."  I think he may have mentioned it to her before from his tone.  A few minutes later he looked at her again and said, "Quit smoking."  Ah, I love him.  I told him that he was a complete cutie and that I wanted to take him home with me.  Of course his wife and three children, oh and Sean, might stop me. ;)

Connor is constantly going with the camera, such a fantastic purchase.  I understand that most people thought that buying a six year old his own digital camera was a bad idea but he is LOVING it.  When it is not in use it is always put up and turned off.  He is always very careful and creative.  Like mother, like son, I suppose.

Day 22

Here he is watching Sean make him a paper airplane with camera in hand.

While at the doc's, I asked him about eating clean and he gave me a mouthful about not taking herbal supplements.  lol  I explained to him about Eating Clean and he told me that it was "virtually impossible to do around here" but encouraged me to do my best.  He highly recommended buying my food at the farmer's market and I will do my best.  Sean and I checked it out before Christmas.  We found out there are little veggies but we can buy free range meat and eggs there.  A small step in the right direction.  I purchased Tosca Reno's book, The Eat Clean Diet for Family and Friends.

I really enjoyed reading it and it is already helping our diet.  Sean will not stop looking at me and telling me how great I look.  lol  AND I am down another pound this week which puts me at a 7lb weight loss since Christmas.  We headed to the Bulk Barn last night to pick up some things for our cleaner eating habits.

Day 23

First dish is a variety of natural, unsalted nuts and seeds that Sean mixed up for us.  Then we have some ground flax seed, buckwheat flour, quinoa (pronounced keen-wa), almonds, almond butter (which is pricey but Connor LOVES it), sea salt and Sean's curry powder.  I am not big on curry but Sean likes it so I promised to make him something with it.  I also stopped at the fish man and bought some fresh salmon and cod fillets.  Yum!  I also picked up a steamer, it sounds odd but I have never used one before but am looking forward to learning new things.

Day 24

Sean gave me this candy a few years ago.  Just the one.  Isn't he sweet?  He did not even remember when I showed it to him but he did reply with, "Wow, see, I can be romantic."  Yes, he can.  Happy hump day!

MOJO COME BACK!

It has been a long time now and my mojo is still on the loose.  Have you seen it?  Its really cute and smart and funny and just plain adorable.  I think may be its mad at me for taking it for granted.  If you see it, please tell it I love it and want it to come home.  :(  Until then...

I completed this layout today, I am not entirely happy with it but I it's kay.  I used my new kit, Every Breath.  These are two of my bestest friends, Andrea on the left and Jen on the right.  Andrea is home from Alberta for a few days and showed up on my doorstep on Friday!  YAY!  It's amazing how much you can miss someone and not even realize it until you see them again.   Us girls had a wonderful weekend hanging out and talking.  We caught up on everything, talked about weddings (no not mine, Jen is getting married in the fall), family and the usual girl gossip.

I am still going strong with the 365 project! 

Day 19

It was late and everyone was tired but they let me take a picture anyway!  Cuz they loves me.  ;)

Day 20

I watched the Miss America Pageant on Saturday night.  It was a nice quiet evening at home.  Well, a few hours anyway, and I greatly welcomed the quiet and just plain being a girl looking at pretty dresses.  We have been so busy at home and away this  month.

Day 21

Little niece Emma came for Sunday morning coffee with us this week, she looked totally adorable.  Can you tell which pictures I took with my Nikon and which ones with Connor's Kodak?  I CAN!  lol

Also, Andrea's Nan is going into surgery tomorrow so if you wouldnt mind sending warm thoughts her way, that would be so sweet and appreciated!  Thanks.  Happy scrapping! 

One week left!

It's official.  I have only one week left of my 27th year.  Ack!  I do not know why I had to be so impatient in the womb coming out two months early.  Would you like to hear the story of my birth?  It's quite entertaining.  It was January 29th, 1981 and my mother was not due until March so when she began to feel "gas-y" she did not think much of it.  However, when the pain began to worsen, she realized she was in labour.  They called my grandfather to come and watch my three brothers who were sound asleep because it was very late or very early, depending on how you look at it.  When my parents arrived at the hospital and told them my mother was in labour, they were laughed at.  They said she was not due for quite some time and they should go back home.  My parents made such a fuss that the nurse on duty finally gave in and put them in a delivery room just to "shut them up" and gave them a student nurse to monitor my mother.  The student nurse had never been at a delivery before and was quite scared.  Very quickly my mother went into hard labour and I was making my way out.  My Dad was yelling at the nurse to go get help but she was so afraid that she sank into the corner of the room crying.  Before he even knew what was happening, my father had delivered me and the nurse and doctor came screaming into the room.  My father held me in his arms and muttered something like, "told ya so."  LOL  At the end of the day, I was not very pretty.  I was bald with glossy, yellow skin (Jaundice) and resembled an "alien."  Yuppers.  I did, however, improve and was a hefty 5lbs in no time at all.  ;)  I was lucky that I had no more health issues and was home wrecking havoc on my poor family in no time at all.

My sweet son has informed me that he is now official too old to have his picture taken in the bath tub.  However, he was still ever so happy to pose for me.

Day 18

As I promised yesterday, here is Sean's cartoon that was published in today's paper.  If you get the chance, please stop by his blog.  He loves attention.  ;) 

Cape Breton Ink Blog!

Barack Obama, the 44th President of the USA!  On the 20th, we went to the White House website to find a picture of Bush and the site was completely new!  I made a joke about how quickly Obama had taken over and apparently I was not the only one who noticed the site.  It actually made the news with The Globe and Mail.

 

See ya tomorrow!