Trendspotting: Get with the Pattern

Trendspotting:  CU Patterns

There is increasing variety available in commercial use patterns for designers.  Here is just a sampling of what is out there: LBCreations Designs by BabetteAdorable Petals, Volume 2 Mix and match the patterns in .PAT files for Photoshop with PNGs included for other graphics programs. eNKay designsLayered Pattern 4 Four patterns in layers available as [...]

Quality Control from a Store Owner’s Perspective

Quality Control from a Store Owner's Perspective

An Interview with Nicole Seitler, owner of The Digi Chick. Nicole Seitler, wife and stay-at-home mom to four children, has been designing for over three years. She creates under the names Sugarplum Paperie and {girl friday} studio and owns The Digi Chick, which gives her a unique perspective on quality control. You can find her [...]

Creating Fur Textures in Photoshop

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Note: Instructions and screen shots in this tutorial were done with PSCS2 but will work for later versions also. One of the things that can set your elements apart from others is adding realistic textures. While there are many plug-ins for Photoshop you can purchase, they are not always necessary! PS contains all the power [...]

Lay it On! Using Overlays to Design Digital Papers

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Designers today have a wonderful assortment of overlays to choose from when designing papers and backgrounds.  There are overlays to add texture and overlays with patterns or designs on them.  You can find overlays that cover a whole 12-by-12-inch page and those just for edges or borders.  What all these different products have in common [...]

Hybrid Gallery Picks: February 2011

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Each month the Insider team picks our favorite projects posted in the DST Hybrid Gallery from the past month. Check out the amazing projects we’ve picked this time: Altered Birdhouse by Scrappycath Drawer Box by thunderdragon Sweet Text by tsmspt    Send article as PDF   

Gallery Gems: February 2011

Gallery Gems February 2011

The DST Gallery is packed with amazing layouts and inspiration.  Here is just a selection of fun pages from our amazing members: 100 Years Ago by DebbiePhelps 2011 by c0r1nn3 Fairy Moon by AnikA Winter Christmas by KayM    Send article as PDF   

New To You: Thankful For You by Geek Chic Scraps

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New to You is the Insider’s column designed to help you discover designers you might not know. Every month we select a designer, create layouts from one of their kits and introduce you to their style. In addition, the designer provides a free add-on kit just for our readers!  You never know, you might discover a new [...]

February 2011 Featured Sponsor: ScrapMatters

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ScrapMatters Presenting ScrapMatters, one of this month’s DST Insider sponsors! Take a look at their products, check out some amazing CT layouts and shop their store. How do you find ScrapMatters? Site | Shop | Facebook | Twitter Layouts with Wizarding Magic    Send article as PDF   

February 2011 Featured Sponsor: Diana Burton/db Designs

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  Diana Burton/db Designs Presenting Diana Burton aka db Designs, one of this month’s DST Insider sponsors! Take a look at her products, check out some amazing CT layouts and shop her store. How do you find db Designs? Site | Shop | Facebook Layouts with Second Hand Rose    Send article as PDF   

February 2011 Featured Designer: Amanda Rockwell

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Meet Amanda Rockwell, the creator of this month’s DST Gold Member Kit, My Love How long have you been designing? I have been designing for six years. When I thought, “what will I be doing in five years,” I never thought I’d still be doing this! It’s great to see how much it’s grown and [...]