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Technique Slow Scrap - CLUSTERING (Chat Room at 6:00 PM Pacific Time)
For help with time zones see HERE.
Coordinating with the MOC Day 24 Challenge (Fill Your Pocket), today the Technique Slow Scrap is all about CLUSTERING on your scrapbook page.
OF NOTE....a tutorial on clustering follows the instructions (scroll down towards the end of the post).
Come and join me in the CHAT ROOM today for an hour, where we'll chat about the MOC and every 10 minutes I will give out instructions. Don't worry if you miss the chat, the instructions will also be posted here in the first post in this thread which will be updated after being given out in the chat room. You will have until Friday, Jan 25 at 7:00 PM Pacific Time to complete your slow scrap page and post it in the gallery, then copy and paste it into this thread, to be eligible for a prize coupon.
OF NOTE....The page you create for this slow scrap may also be used for the MOC Day 24 Challenge, Fill Your Pocket. If also using your page for the Fill Your Pocket challenge, please check that your page meets their requirements as they differ slightly than the speed scrap requirements. ***A pocket template is provided for download at the MOC Day 24 challenge that you can also use here.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR SLOW SCRAP (to be posted every 10 minutes between 6:00-7:00 PM)
6:00 PM Step #1
Place a background paper onto your page. Use a solid or lightly textured paper (no patterned paper).
6:10 PM Step #2
· Then place 2 photos onto your page (may substitute a journal card for one or both photos).
· Place 1st photo in the upper left portion of your page, leaving space on the left side (that is where the 1st cluster will go, right along that left page edge, between paper edge and your 1st photo).
· Place 2nd photo in the lower right portion of your page, leaving space on the right side of the photo for the 2nd cluster, which will be placed to the right of your photo, along the right edge.
6:20 PM Step #3
· Build your 1st cluster along the upper left edge of your page. It may overlap on or under your photo. Your cluster must contain at least 3 products of your choosing i.e. paint, buttons, flowers, wordart, chipboard....anything you wish. (You may place the cluster in the pocket template provided with the MOC Day 24 challenge.)
6:30 PM Step #4
· Build your 2nd cluster along the bottom right edge of your page. It may overlap on or under your photo. Your cluster must contain at least 3 products of your choosing. You may duplicate and use some or all of the products used in the 1st cluster. (You may place the cluster in the pocket template provided with the MOC Day 24 challenge.)
6:40 PM Step #5
· Build your 3rd cluster along the left side of the photo you placed along the bottom right portion of your page. Place products on or under your photo, with at least partial overlapping onto the photo, either above or below the photo. Your cluster must contain at least 3 products of your choosing. You may duplicate and use some or all of the products used in the 1st or 2nd cluster. (You may place the cluster in the pocket template provided with the MOC Day 24 challenge.)
6:50 PM Step #6
Journal at least 3 lines somewhere on your page, may use bullet points, if desired.
HOW TO CLUSTER:
Clustering is a grouping of multiple products, providing a focal point on your layout, which helps to draw the viewer's eye to an area on the layout. This can include a multitude of products, of different shapes, colors and depth such as flowers, buttons, journal cards, paper mats, string, ribbon, wordart, fasteners such as staples, washi tape, etc. Just about any digital product can be included in a cluster.
Adding shadows add dimension and depth to your cluster, although not necessary, it is an effective way to add a realism to your cluster layers.
Start with an anchor point for your cluster, then one by one, add products above and below the anchor, tucking them in here and there. You don't have to get the cluster exactly how you would like it as you can go back and rearrange at any time. As you build your cluster, you may want to rotate, resize, recolor and/or move the position and placement of products within the cluster layering.
You may duplicate a product for use in your cluster. To vary the look of the product (especially flowers, greenery), try rotating and resizing/warping.
Color Coding Layers in the Layers Palette
Building a cluster can involve many layers in your layers palette, especially if you have more than one cluster. I found it useful to color code each cluster so if I need to select multiple layers of the cluster to move, it is easier to find them if they have been color coded. If your photo editing software allows color coding, give it a try. In Photoshop, while on each layer, right click to bring up menu and select a color to highlight that layer (the colors are listed toward the bottom of that pop-up menu). If you want to move your cluster, all you need to do is select the color coded layers and then use the move tool to change position of them. Here 's my sample page and color coding that I applied.
Some of my other tips include:
Start with a few bigger pieces for a cluster and then start adding in smaller products. I usually add flat products like paint, overlays, brushwork, etc towards the end of my cluster building.
Sometimes you might want to weave a product in and out of other layers, such as string, or fit products into a pocket. Enlarge your viewing area to magnify the area to be worked on. Reduce the opacity of the product to be erased (so that you can still see the product but can also see the underlying layer, to help direct you as to what area to erase such as filling a pocket and needing to erase product that spills outside the pocket). I recommend creating a layer mask before choosing a brush and erasing which will enable you to undo if needed. In Photoshop, select Layers > Layer Mask > Reveal All (which will now show a white box in your layer). Be sure to select black as your foreground color before starting to erase. Click onto the white box to make sure that has been selected before erasing.
SPEED SCRAP RULES:
Layout must be posted prior to 7:00 pm PACIFIC TIME, Friday, Jan 25, 2019.
· Post completed layout in the speed scrap gallery HERE.
· Copy and paste link from your page in the speed scrap gallery, here in this thead.
TIP...copy "Share BB Code",then paste here in the speed scrap thread).
GALLERY RULES:
· Please post your completed layout in The Lilypad gallery. Layouts must contain at least 50% TLP products. (Templates count as 15%.) Uploads must be less than 250k. List all credits; no off-site linking allowed.
· Please note: IF YOUR LAYOUT IS FOR MOC, you will need to comply with the 75% current TLP product requirement.
For help with time zones see HERE.
Coordinating with the MOC Day 24 Challenge (Fill Your Pocket), today the Technique Slow Scrap is all about CLUSTERING on your scrapbook page.
OF NOTE....a tutorial on clustering follows the instructions (scroll down towards the end of the post).
Come and join me in the CHAT ROOM today for an hour, where we'll chat about the MOC and every 10 minutes I will give out instructions. Don't worry if you miss the chat, the instructions will also be posted here in the first post in this thread which will be updated after being given out in the chat room. You will have until Friday, Jan 25 at 7:00 PM Pacific Time to complete your slow scrap page and post it in the gallery, then copy and paste it into this thread, to be eligible for a prize coupon.
OF NOTE....The page you create for this slow scrap may also be used for the MOC Day 24 Challenge, Fill Your Pocket. If also using your page for the Fill Your Pocket challenge, please check that your page meets their requirements as they differ slightly than the speed scrap requirements. ***A pocket template is provided for download at the MOC Day 24 challenge that you can also use here.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR SLOW SCRAP (to be posted every 10 minutes between 6:00-7:00 PM)
6:00 PM Step #1
Place a background paper onto your page. Use a solid or lightly textured paper (no patterned paper).
6:10 PM Step #2
· Then place 2 photos onto your page (may substitute a journal card for one or both photos).
· Place 1st photo in the upper left portion of your page, leaving space on the left side (that is where the 1st cluster will go, right along that left page edge, between paper edge and your 1st photo).
· Place 2nd photo in the lower right portion of your page, leaving space on the right side of the photo for the 2nd cluster, which will be placed to the right of your photo, along the right edge.
6:20 PM Step #3
· Build your 1st cluster along the upper left edge of your page. It may overlap on or under your photo. Your cluster must contain at least 3 products of your choosing i.e. paint, buttons, flowers, wordart, chipboard....anything you wish. (You may place the cluster in the pocket template provided with the MOC Day 24 challenge.)
6:30 PM Step #4
· Build your 2nd cluster along the bottom right edge of your page. It may overlap on or under your photo. Your cluster must contain at least 3 products of your choosing. You may duplicate and use some or all of the products used in the 1st cluster. (You may place the cluster in the pocket template provided with the MOC Day 24 challenge.)
6:40 PM Step #5
· Build your 3rd cluster along the left side of the photo you placed along the bottom right portion of your page. Place products on or under your photo, with at least partial overlapping onto the photo, either above or below the photo. Your cluster must contain at least 3 products of your choosing. You may duplicate and use some or all of the products used in the 1st or 2nd cluster. (You may place the cluster in the pocket template provided with the MOC Day 24 challenge.)
6:50 PM Step #6
Journal at least 3 lines somewhere on your page, may use bullet points, if desired.
HOW TO CLUSTER:
Clustering is a grouping of multiple products, providing a focal point on your layout, which helps to draw the viewer's eye to an area on the layout. This can include a multitude of products, of different shapes, colors and depth such as flowers, buttons, journal cards, paper mats, string, ribbon, wordart, fasteners such as staples, washi tape, etc. Just about any digital product can be included in a cluster.
Adding shadows add dimension and depth to your cluster, although not necessary, it is an effective way to add a realism to your cluster layers.
Start with an anchor point for your cluster, then one by one, add products above and below the anchor, tucking them in here and there. You don't have to get the cluster exactly how you would like it as you can go back and rearrange at any time. As you build your cluster, you may want to rotate, resize, recolor and/or move the position and placement of products within the cluster layering.
You may duplicate a product for use in your cluster. To vary the look of the product (especially flowers, greenery), try rotating and resizing/warping.
Color Coding Layers in the Layers Palette
Building a cluster can involve many layers in your layers palette, especially if you have more than one cluster. I found it useful to color code each cluster so if I need to select multiple layers of the cluster to move, it is easier to find them if they have been color coded. If your photo editing software allows color coding, give it a try. In Photoshop, while on each layer, right click to bring up menu and select a color to highlight that layer (the colors are listed toward the bottom of that pop-up menu). If you want to move your cluster, all you need to do is select the color coded layers and then use the move tool to change position of them. Here 's my sample page and color coding that I applied.
Some of my other tips include:
Start with a few bigger pieces for a cluster and then start adding in smaller products. I usually add flat products like paint, overlays, brushwork, etc towards the end of my cluster building.
Sometimes you might want to weave a product in and out of other layers, such as string, or fit products into a pocket. Enlarge your viewing area to magnify the area to be worked on. Reduce the opacity of the product to be erased (so that you can still see the product but can also see the underlying layer, to help direct you as to what area to erase such as filling a pocket and needing to erase product that spills outside the pocket). I recommend creating a layer mask before choosing a brush and erasing which will enable you to undo if needed. In Photoshop, select Layers > Layer Mask > Reveal All (which will now show a white box in your layer). Be sure to select black as your foreground color before starting to erase. Click onto the white box to make sure that has been selected before erasing.
SPEED SCRAP RULES:
Layout must be posted prior to 7:00 pm PACIFIC TIME, Friday, Jan 25, 2019.
· Post completed layout in the speed scrap gallery HERE.
· Copy and paste link from your page in the speed scrap gallery, here in this thead.
TIP...copy "Share BB Code",then paste here in the speed scrap thread).
GALLERY RULES:
· Please post your completed layout in The Lilypad gallery. Layouts must contain at least 50% TLP products. (Templates count as 15%.) Uploads must be less than 250k. List all credits; no off-site linking allowed.
· Please note: IF YOUR LAYOUT IS FOR MOC, you will need to comply with the 75% current TLP product requirement.
Last edited:
Your instructions are great for clustering. Thank you for adding all of the details & tips. Here is mine, I hope I got it all right...
