More Fun With Photoshop

Just messing around some more with the photos I did yesterday (and a couple others from the same time)
Thought I'd share, since I wasn't planning any more exciting post for today :0) (I've saved all the excitement for tomorrow's post)





I feel like no matter what I try I'm just not happy with how this picture looks. I know she's got a weird look on her (dirty) face, but its the overall coloring of the photo. When I erased the sun kissed effect off her eyes, they looked too bright and fake. When I tried to tone that down, it makes her look like she has cataracts. I just can't make it work. (Its also hard to get a close-up shot of her because she's constantly on the move!)


This next one scares me. She has her daddy's mouth, which I can say from experience is a kissable one ;0)




This one scares me too, but in a different sort of way--kind of looks like the cover of a horror movie DVD...




This is another one I just can't make work. I do like the texture on here, it's got that rough and tumble feeling that defines LittleMan.



This one was taken with a flash (accidentally) which is why I didn't use it yesterday. But I messed with it today a bit and I do like the look on her face and how well it shows her eyes.





And this is definitely my absolute favorite of the bunch:




Seriously, it doesn't get much better than that.

The Eyes Have It

I'm trying to learn Photoshop Elements. There's tons of great tutorials out there, some I particularly like are found at I Heart Faces, DIY Photography, and of course Pioneer Woman.
One of the elements I'm trying hard to get a grasp on is those beautiful sparkly eyes you see in so many shots. So here's some fooling around I did yesterday....If anyone more experienced has any tips or suggestions, or links to good tutorials I'd love to have them!!!


***Disclaimer: I know my kids look like cyborgs in some of these--I'm still learnin' folks! Just sharing my baby steps!!!***


(All the shots are the original followed by my edited version)

Girlfriend Girl:





Do you know what I see in this picture? TEENAGER...it's coming for me!!!

BoyBoy


Do you know what I see in this one? RABBIT!! Just kidding, but I do see braces in my future!!!
(I rushed through this one because I was running out of time.)Tiny Tim




I love all my children equally, but when it comes to "eyes" this kid has it cornered. She inherited my dad's icey blue ones, and this picture doesn't even come close to doing them justice.


LittleBear




LittleBear also has the blue eyes, not as light as TinyTim's, but still a lovely deep blue, which I COULD NOT get to look right in this photo.


So that's it! Again, please let me know any and all suggestions you may have!!! Thanks!


Linking to:
Wordless Wednesday, Momma Findings, Jolly Mom, Extraordinary Mothers, A Daily Dose of Toni,and 5 Minutes for Mom. 
Check them out for some more great Wordless Wednesday entries!    

Not Much Arsenic...But Tons of Old Lace

Oh boy does googiemomma have a TREAT for you today!!!

That's right, at the end of this post, for the first time ev-ah--a PHOTO, of the ONE, the ONLY, me. (well, not really the first time...but the first shots of me since I stopped wearing diapers)

Sorry if that's a let down.

Anyway, let's begin at the beginning, shall we? (in other words, please try and contain yourself and don't go madly scrolling to the bottom just to see little 'ole me. ha. hahaha.)

A few years ago a good friend and her hubby were downsizing after the last child flew the coop. She is an avid crafter/sewer/jewelry maker, and in her purging passed on to me TONS of stuff.
Included in this windfall was an entire storage container of lace and trim. Seriously, there's a ton.



(This is only a sample)

Unfortunately, I don't really consider myself a "lace" kinda gal. I pull it out and look at it once in a while. I can't bring myself to part with it, thinking that one of these days I'll find some inspiration.

I decided to start playing around, and figured maybe adding...I dunno...lace to the lace would make me like it better.

I took two of the laces, and stitched them together using the ruffler foot on my machine:

Now what? Well, as they say in Blogcrafterland, when in doubt, make a headband. (what? they don't say that? well they should)

So I pulled some headbands out of the stash, and wrapped one in the thinner lace. Just a dab of hot glue at the bottom and start wrapping, with another dab of hot glue every 1/2 inch or so.

When that was done I took a section of the ruffled lace I made and did a simple fan-pleated flower (you know, like one of those fans you made as a kid out of paper, just like that). A healthy blob of hot glue stuck that just fine.
But it still needed something. So back into my gifted stash again, and I found this:
I can't tell you how handy this has come in for princess costumes :0)




Now that I'm on the lace train to Blogcrafterland, what's the next stop?

Well, I've been seeing those "Anthro"-inspired shirts all over, so I decided to give that a go. Took the thinner lace and sewed it down randomly over the left shoulder area of a basic brown top I had. Then I created more fan-pleated flowers from the pieces I sewed together, and stitched them on top, and attached the requisite bling.

And here, as promised, is me (and my shirt):



Here's my thoughts, in no particular order:
1. Its a very weird feeling pointing a camera at your...umm...chest and taking pictures to put on the internet. Even if it's COMPLETELY innocent.
2. I rejected about 25 other shots for making me look too fat, focusing too much on the "girls", making me look like I have 7 chins, etc.
3. The first pic made me laugh so hard when I saw it. Just as I snapped the shot one of the kids yelled, so I looked that way. Now I'm immortalized in a slightly pensive, vaguely constipated, remotely snotty sort of way...and yes, that's why I kept it.
4. I'm not really crazy about how the shirt turned out. It's not really "me" and I don't care for the thinner lace. The pattern is...aesthetically NOT PLEASING (who watches PR??? WHO? Can I get a Nina shout-out?)
5. I do think the flowers are cute.
6. NO, I didn't wear the headband with the shirt. I gave it to Girlfriend Girl. DO I LOOK LIKE A NERD? (see #3)
7. I did brush my hair today, but that's yesterday's makeup remains.
8. I don't think I brushed my teeth today though.

So that's it. And in the spirit of revealing myself, I'll sign off...

~Shannon (aka "the googiemomma")

I'm linking up to these fine pah-tays: