I have a wide range of products in my MagicSparkles series and I am often asked how I used them. In this post I want to *spotlight* my MagicSparkle series and show some of the different ways they can be used.
Here's a few of the products in the series:
Original MagicSparkles, such as:
Specific MagicSparkles, such as:
MagicFlares, in both single and MultiColor format:
MagicBubbles:
FotoGlows, such as:
They come in the form of albums, frames, korners, papers, overlays, templates and hipster plumes
MagicSparkles add an almost ethereal quality to pages and can be applied to both artsy and traditional pages. I like them because they represent the magic in the memories that we are documenting.
1. White on Black: You will notice that all the above shown MagicSparkles are showcased on a black background. I always recommend that they be used in a light color, usually white, on a darker background in order to provide bigger impact.
On a lighter background, they are more subtle:
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In keeping with my *no rules* approach to scrapbooking, you can, of course, use them vice versa i.e. convert the MagicSparkle to a dark color on light background, to achieve a more artsy and less ethereal look as shown in this layout.
2. Recolor them: The method you use will depend on your personal knowledge of the software you are using and whether you're working with a single color or Multicolor MagicSparkle. Many of the different recoloring techniques are discussed in this thread in the DesignerDigitals forum.
Most of the MagicSparkles in the DesignerDigitals store are delivered in one-color (white) format, though I am starting to introduce more MultiColor sets, such as the MultiColor MagicFlares No. 1 released last week.
I recolor the single color files using the Gradient Map tool in Photoshop. I set my Fore- and Background Colors (Tools palette) to the same color, such as pale yellow for example. With my MagicSparkle layer selected in the Layers palette, I then go to Image> Adjustments> Gradient Map, which changes my MagicSparkle from white to pale yellow. I like to change these files from white to pastel colors.
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To change the color of MultiColor files, I use the Hue/Saturation tool (Image> Adjustments> Hue/Saturation) and move the levers to change the hue, saturation and lightness of the file.
An optional extra step could include adjusting the contrast of the image via Curves (Image> Adjustments> Curves) and/or Brightness/Contrast (Image> Adjustments> Brightness and Contrast). There are lots of other tools under this menu in Photoshop CS4, such as Vibrance or Exposure, that I also invite you to play with.
Use Selective Color or Replace Color (Image> Adjustments> Selective Color?Replace Color) to adjust one of the colors in the the MultiColor MagicSparkle.
3. Layer them up: You can place more than one MagicSparkle file on top of one another, in different sizes and/or in differing colors. In the following layout, I used 2 different MagicFlares in orange and white.
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4. Experiment with Blending Modes: Recolor your MagicSparkles and then apply one of your Blending Modes which are located in the Layers palette. Click on Normal at the top of the palette to activate the drop-down menu, then use the up and down ARROW keys on your keyboard to try out all your options.
Remember that each mode will behave differently depending on the hue, contrast and brightness of the MagicSparkle and similar properties of the layer beneath it. It's always good to test drive them all, because what looks great in one instance, may not work so well in another. Here's a useful overview on Blending Modes in Photoshop, but using them is how you will learn them.
In the following layout, I applied a Hard Light Blending Mode to the yellow MagicFlare, but I'm also a huge fan of Screen, Overlay, Color Burn and Vivid Light.
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5. MagicSparkle Placement: They can be clipped to or placed over photos as shown in the following layout:
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They can also be placed on backgrounds so that they peek out from behind elements and/or images, as is the case for the FotoGlows shown in the layout below.
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MagicSparkles are also a great tool for lightening areas on busy or dark colored layouts to provide areas for titles or bodies of text.
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THE GIVEAWAY
FotoGlows No. 3 is being released into the DesignerDigitals store this weekend and you can enter to win it by telling me your favorite way to use MagicSparkles, and get a BONUS entry by leaving a separate comment with a link to a layout in which you have used any of my MagicSparkle products.
In honor of this third set, I'm going to be giving away 3 of them. Winners will be randomly selected and announced at 11pm MST tomorrow.
Thanks for playing!
