Anatomy of a Blog Banner

As you know, I recently totally revamped my blog.  As part of the revamp I created a new blog banner for the top of my blog.  I knew which photos I wanted to include, but making them have the look and feel that I was looking for was pretty trial and error.

First I used the photos as is.  This was too bright and jarring.

Then I lowered the opacity of the photos to make them less jarring.  It still didn’t look right.

Then I made the photos black & white.  But I didn’t like how some of the photos looked a little dingy and not bright.

So I tried brightening up the photo on the left a bit.  I thought this banner looked pretty good, but I was not wow’ed.

Then I opened up Rad Lab and used the Pool Party filter layered with the Flirt filter.  This was the exact feel & look that I was looking for!

So that’s the story of the different iterations of the new blog banner.  :)

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Rad Lab On Sale!

I consider Get Totally Rad’s Rab Lab filters as one of the major game changers in my photo-processing process.  I bought it on sale at the end of 2012 and it has changed the way I work with photos for my blog and for scrapbooking.  I even talked about it the last time I was on The Digi Show podcast! I guess it’s one of my favorite “quick and dirty” tricks, ha ha!

They are having a 30% off summer sale right now!  Use code “TRSUMMER” to get 30% off my favorite photo editing program, Rad Lab.  It works from within BOTH Photoshop AND Lightroom!  I use it right from Lightroom when I’m looking at my photo catalog.  It is SO easy!  The sale ends on midnight on Monday June 23rd, so don’t delay and miss it! 

I can’t tell you how much Rad Lab has changed my photo-editing and workflow, and how easy it is to use it.  Oh wait, I can!  I created this video to show you my workflow from Lightroom. I also show you all the different filters available, and also how to save your own recipes!

Here’s my “before” photo from the video:

And here’s the after:

I love the ease of editing photos with Rad Lab, I think you will too! Rad Lab also works from within Photoshop and Photoshop Elements, if you don’t have Lightroom. There are so many options to stack the different filters to make your own favorite recipes!  And the live previews make it so easy to get the look that you are after.  You can take a look at the technical specifications here.

You can pick up Rad Lab for 30% off until midnight on Monday June 23rd!  Woohoo!

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Write Click Scrapbook | Currently

The April gallery “Selfies” is live at Write.Click.Scrapbook.!

12 x 12 | materials cardstock (Bazzill, Strathmore) + patterned paper (Studio Calico, Bella Blvd, Hambly, Lily Bee) + wood veneers (Studio Calico) + enamel dots (Twine + Ink) + printable labels (Studio Calico) + mist (Studio Calico) + ink (Hero Arts, Studio Calico, Tsukineko) + stamps (American Crafts, Evalicious, Technique Tuesday, Studio Calico) + tag (Elle's Studio) + twine (The Twinery) + washi tape (Studio Calico) + plastic hearts (Hello Forever for Studio Calico) + doily (Royal Lace) + adhesive (Scotch, Glue Dots) + pen (Sharpie, Sakura) + fonts (Lobster 2.0, PT Sans Narrow) + software (Rad Lab, Adobe Photoshop) + printer (Canon)

I processed the same photo using three different filters from Rad Lab. Then I put them onto one 4x6 canvas in Photoshop and printed it at home. I like the way it looks, different, yet the same.

I used mostly the Studio Calico February scrapbook kit Sugar Rush, plus some items from my stash.  I really enjoyed the layering and textures.  I created the stamped dots using stamp & ink, and the ink splatters using Mr Huey’s sprays.

More textures and layering with tags, twine, wood veneer, and enamel dots.

I created the “Currently” 3x4 journal card myself in Photoshop and then printed it out on Becky Higgins Project Life 3x4 blank cards.

If you would like the Currently card to use yourself, you can download it here.  Or click on the image below.

I had a lot of fun creating this 12x12 layout, which I haven’t done in a while!  You can see the April gallery launch post at Write.Click.Scrapbook. here, and see the entire gallery here.

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Rad Lab Sale + Wintersong

Hi Everyone!  Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!  I took some time off to be with family, so I’m slightly behind on blogging.  We’ve had a wonderful few days off!

A couple of things I wanted to mention while the good deals are still on!  First is the Rad Lab sale!  If you read my blog, you know that I love the Rad Lab filters by Totally Rad.  I use it from within Lightroom to process my photos.  Rad Lab also works from within Photoshop and Photoshop Elements, if that’s what you have.  Totally Rad has extended their Black Friday sale through Cyber Monday 12/2!  This is their biggest sale of the year and you can save 35% off any of their products, although you know my favorite is Rad Lab!

Use the code BLACKFRIDAY2013 to get 35% off Rad Lab!  This is the best price you will see probably all year, so take advantage of it while you can!  I bought this last year during their Black Friday sale too!

I use Rad Lab filters from within Lightroom all the time for photos on my blog and scrapbooking photos. I even talked about it the last time I was on The Digi Show podcast! I guess it’s one of my favorite “quick and dirty” tricks, ha ha!  Wanna see an overview of how I use Rad Lab from Lightroom to process my photos?  Watch this video.

Here’s my “before” photo from the video:

And here’s the “after:

Speaking of Rad Lab, I made a digital layout last week in which my original photo sort of clashed with the color scheme of the digital scrapbook kit I was using, so I used Rad Lab to transform the photo. 

Here is the original photo:

While I love the colors, it was too tropical for a kit called Wintersong. 

So I used Rad Lab to make it look like this:

Doesn’t it give it a totally different feel?

The recipe of this photo:
Divine Light #2 at 100%
Troy at 51%
Lux | Hard at 41%
Flirt at 35%

Here’s my layout.  See how the colors of the photo goes much better with my layout now?

Supplies:  Wintersong digital scrapbook kit and Wintersong journal cards by One Little Bird; Amatic SC font.

Speaking of Wintersong, it is still on sale for 30% off through Cyber Monday, and you get the journal cards for FREE when you purchase the kit!

Wintersong digital kit here.

Wintersong journal cards here.

That’s it from me today!  I need to create an editorial calendar of all the blog posts I need to write to catch up!  Hope you have a great start to your week!  :)

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Rad Lab On Sale + a Video Overview

Back at the end of November, on Black Friday, I bought the Rad Lab photo-editing filters from Totally Rad.  I had downloaded the fully-functional trial version and fell in love with it, so I had to buy it while it was on sale.


I was using Rad Lab from inside Photoshop. I loved the results, but my entire photo workflow is inside Lightroom. I wished that I could use Rad Lab filters from within Lightroom. After some research, I realized that I TOTALLY CAN use Rad Lab from within Lightroom! It was as if the heavens opened and the angels blew their trumpets. Ok, it wasn’t quite that dramatic, but almost!

Now I use Rad Lab filters from within Lightroom all the time for photos on my blog and scrapbooking photos. I even talked about it the last time I was on The Digi Show podcast! I guess it’s one of my favorite “quick and dirty” tricks, ha ha!

The awesome news is, right now Totally Rad is having a HUGE SALE!


That means you can pick up Rad Lab for only $99 right now, versus the regular price of $149! I can’t tell you how much Rad Lab has changed my photo-editing and workflow, and how easy it is to use it. 

Oh wait, I can!  I created this video to show you my workflow from Lightroom. I also show you all the different filters available, and also how to save your own recipes!


Here’s my “before” photo from the video:


And here’s the after:


I love the ease of editing photos with Rad Lab, I think you will too! Rad Lab also works from within Photoshop and Photoshop Elements, if you don’t have Lightroom. You can take a look at the technical specifications here.

I’m not sure how long the sale will be for, so if you have some money saved up, right now is a great time to pick up Rad Lab! :)

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