Sunday, March 30, 2014

CoffeeShop Fine Art Photoshop/PSE Action and Tutorial!


So my husband and boys have been working on the flower beds and yard today, so that gave me some free time to finally finish my newest action, CoffeeShop Fine Art.

This is one of my new favorite actions.  I am going to redo my bedroom and I needed some pretty floral images for the walls, so I decided to create a new action to do all of the work for me.  This action is lovely on so many types of edits, but I really love using it on flowers photographed against a simple background.  You can completely change the look by using different textures and the layers are fully adjustable.  This action also has a nifty masking trick I created built into the action.

I used a beautiful texture from this Flypaper Texture set, and simply changed the texture's color before running the action.  I love all of the textures at Flypaper, and they are worth every penny.  I also love using the free textures at Shadowhouse Creations.  Consider leaving Jerry a donation if you download from his site, he is so kind and generous to allow free use of his textures.


1. Open your image.  Please make sure nothing else is open in your editing program before starting this action.  I found this lovely image on Pixabay.


2.  Start the action.  This action has a built-in auto layer mask function that allows you to remove texture from parts of your image.

When prompted, you will click on the "Replace Color" middle eyedropper (circled above) and start selecting the parts of your image that you wish to be masked from the texture (the flowers in this case).  Those areas will turn white.  To remove areas from the selection click on the last eyedropper (with a "-") and click on them in the image.


3.  As you can see most of my image is now selected and white.  Adjust the Fuzziness filter to taste.  You can always add/remove parts of your image from the texture using the layer mask after the action finishes running.  Sometimes it is difficult to get a clean selection using this method but with images like this it works almost flawlessly.


4.  When the Threshold pane comes up, dial the slider until the parts of the image you wish to remove texture from are all in white.  You can see my background is very clean in this image.


5.  The action will then prompt you to open a texture. I used one from Flypaper in this tutorial, but I changed the color before  starting the action.  You can use any texture you wish with this action, but I personally love the painterly ones. Play around with different texture colors, you can go from nice to stunning!


6.  After the action finishes running you can adjust the layers to taste. I wanted to add more texture by increasing the Opacity of the "Add Texture" layer.


7.  Now you can fine-tune your masking selections. As you can see I have areas on this edit that I need to add back the texture and texture contrast.


8.  I used a soft white high opacity normal brush and clicked to select the layer masks of "Add Texture" and "Add Texture Contrast" and painted over the areas that had been automatically masked and looked odd and needed the texture replaced.  You can also use a soft black brush to remove texture where necessary.


9.  Finally, I added a bit more of the "Haze" layer.  I love this edit, it is so feminine and perfect for spring.

Here are two other images I edited.




I hope you enjoy playing with this new action and tutorial.  I would love to see your before/afters posted on my Facebook page.

Download the CoffeeShop Fine Art Photoshop/PSE action. You can also download it here.

Do you want to download my favorite CoffeeShop PSE/Photoshop Actions and Lightroom Presets or Design Elements in one convenient zipped file AND help support this blog? Just click here for my action pack or here for a download of some of my most popular design elements, storyboards, and textures.

For complete info on installing all of my actions, click here.

Friday, March 28, 2014

CoffeeShop Painted Social Media Buttons Set!


I made this set of customizable social media buttons using some beautiful watercolor brushes from Photoshop Brushes by McBadshoes.  This is a psd file so you can turn on the social button you want to create, resize them to taste, and then adjust the paint colors.  The watercolor background is in two layers so you can add two individual colors.

You can also group a color fill layer over the button to change the color of the social media icon.

Have fun!  You can use these on your websites or blogs, no attribution necessary.

Download the free CoffeeShop Painted Social Media Button Set.  You can also download it here.  Both links are instant downloads.

Do you want to download my favorite CoffeeShop PSE/Photoshop Actions and Lightroom Presets or Design Elements in one convenient zipped file AND help support this blog? Just click here for my action pack or here for a download of some of my most popular design elements, storyboards, and textures. 

For complete info on installing all of my actions, click here.

Thursday, March 27, 2014

CoffeeShop Dessert Treats: Digital Illustrations/Clip Art for Graphic Design




I thought it would be fun to make some png illustrations out of dessert photos that could be used on your websites, headers, logos, greeting cards, etc.  I downloaded some free images from Pixabay and used a nifty action I wrote to turn them into illustrations.  I will release the action this week.

These images are high resolution png images that can be used in most editing programs.  They come with a full commercial license.  Use them in any way you like, just don't resale them "as is".



Download the free CoffeeShop Treats digital dessert designs.  You can also download it here.

Do you want to download my favorite CoffeeShop PSE/Photoshop Actions and Lightroom Presets or Design Elements in one convenient zipped file AND help support this blog? Just click here for my action pack or here for a download of some of my most popular design elements, storyboards, and textures.

For complete info on installing all of my actions, click here.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Interview, Preview of New Action, and Primal Blueprint Lifestyle



I am doing my second Whole30 challenge (I think I have about two weeks left) and I can't believe how amazing I feel.  My body fat is just melting away (Yes, it really can happen!) and I don't ever feel hungry or unsatisfied.  Apparently the Whole30 has changed many lives, you can check out the success stories here.  Whole30 is not a paid sponsor of my site, but rather a Life Changer!

I read The Primal Blueprint and decided it made so much sense and was a lifestyle my entire family can follow.  We have completely cut out added sugar and grains, but we want to be able to eat some dairy (cheese/yogurt).  We all feel so good that it is hard not to keep quiet about our new lifestyle to our friends and family.  I know they are sick of us preaching that a healthy diet and exercise can transform your life, but we are living proof!

If you haven't read this study on saturated fat and heart disease you should go check it out.  I can't link the article as it isn't free, but you can read summaries online.  Researchers analyzed over 70 studies on whether saturated fats increased your chance of heart disease, and they concluded they didn't.  There is so much out there about how our bodies need healthy fats (even saturated ones like coconut oil and ghee), yet the AMA and FDA are still pushing the high carb/low fat diet created in the late 70's/early 80's.  That was (Ironically?, I think not!) also the time when Americans started getting fat…

I have done the low fat/high "healthy carb" eating plans over the years and I felt hungry, tired, and did not lose belly fat. Now I eat tons of veggies/fruits/eggs, some healthy meats (fish, grass fed beef, organic chicken), nuts and seeds, and saturated oils like coconut, ghee, and avocados.  I eat as much as I want as long as it is healthy and I don't worry about using some salt on my homemade food.  In six weeks I have lost 13 pounds (without being hungry) and my belly fat is almost completely gone.  My mother who has also joined us in our new lifestyle has lost weight (12 pounds so far and buying smaller jeans) and feels wonderful, my husband has lost his stomach fat and gained muscle and is "ripped", and my sister Heather has banished her seasonal allergies and asthma. It would take pages and pages to tell you all of the positive changes we have seen in our body and emotions.

My blood pressure is within the range of an athlete's (yet I eat salt and saturated fat, oh  my!), my joints don't ache, I have more energy, and my anxieties are almost nonexistent.  Yes, I cured my worries with diet and exercise.  I have more patience with the kids and I feel happy almost all of the time.  It is as if I have discovered some magic "happy pill".

I have lost my cravings for chips/sweets and have no interest in drinking wine anymore.  I have a new addiction to plantains and the kids love my cocoa date truffles.  I also follow the Primal Blueprint's idea of exercise (they suggest daily high-intensity aerobic exercise can cause problems).  So I try to walk/hike/bike at a moderate speed for 30-60 minutes a day and then do body-weight exercises twice a week.  I love You Are Your Own Gym.

I am going to post before/after photos of my abdominal region when I finish my second Whole30.  The proof is in the pics and I hope to inspire those of you who were like me a few months ago and feel frustrated and unhealthy.  I was so exhausted and unhappy about my body before changing my life, and now I feel so great I can't stop talking about it.  It might involve spending more time in the kitchen and daily exercise, but it is 100% worth the extra time to live a healthy, joyful life.

Do you want to download my favorite CoffeeShop PSE/Photoshop Actions and Lightroom Presets or Design Elements in one convenient zipped file AND help support this blog? Just click here for my action pack or here for a download of some of my most popular design elements, storyboards, and textures.

For complete info on installing all of my actions, click here.

Sunday, March 23, 2014

CoffeeShop Photoshop/PSE Tutorial: Editing Baby Portraits with Textures


Today I want to show you one way I edit baby portraits using one of my favorite actions and free textures.  If you are following along with this edit, you will need to download the CoffeeShop Baby Peach action, the Shadowhouse Creation Oil Painting 5 texture, and this feather texture.

I wanted to mention that Flypaper Textures just sent me their newest Paper Painterly Texture pack and it is so gorgeous!  If you are a texture-addict like me you should check out Flypaper textures.  Their painterly and metallic sets are my favorites.  Paul and Jill also post before and after recipes using their textures.  I love seeing how they use textures and presets to create such stunning photographic art.

CoffeeShop Photoshop/PSE Tutorial:  Editing Baby Portraits with Actions and Textures


1. I am using this beautiful, perfect image from Baby Shots Photography in my tutorial today.  This image is perfect "as-is",  but I wanted to add some texture and color to customize the background.


2.  I ran CoffeeShop Baby Peach on her and then turned off the Baby Glow layer.  In this image it blew out her skin too much.


3.  I love the peachy color, but her skin contrast is still off, so I added a Levels adjustment layer over the background image and dialed up the middle gamma slider.


4.  I opened up the Shadowhouse Creations Oil Painting 5 texture and decided to change the color.


5.  I added a tan color fill layer (#ead2af)  and put it in Color blending mode. Then I flattened the image and dragged it on top of the baby portrait.


6. I moved the texture on top of the Levels adjustment layer and under Baby Peach.


7.  I put this texture layer in Multiply Blending mode, added a layer mask, and used a soft black brush to remove the texture from her skin.  (Shift, Alt,  and click on the layer mask to turn it red so you can see where you are painting.  Repeat to remove.)


8.  The texture on the skin is now gone.


9.   I copied the texture layer and put it in Soft Light Blending mode to add some contrast.


10.  I found the background too dark so I went back to the Multiply layer and adjusted the opacity down to 72%.


11.  I want to add some of the golden texture color to her skin, so I copied the texture again and then deleted the layer mask.


12. I Guassian-blurred the texture to make it a solid color.


13. I  copied the layer mask from the texture below and clicked Ctrl-I to inverse it so that it would add the extra color only to her skin.  You can alternatively add a black layer mask and use a soft white brush to add the color to her skin.


14.  All of the texture layers have blown-out her skin again, so I went back to the Levels adjustment layer and adjusted the midtone middle slider.


15. I opened the feather texture image and desaturated it.


16. I dragged the texture on top of all of the other textures and under Baby Peach and free-transformed the feathers to fit the image.


17.  I put this layer in Soft Light blending mode and adjusted the contrast to taste.


18. I added a layer mask and used a 100% soft black brush to remove the texture from her skin and a 40-60% opacity brush around her body to softly feather the texture background.


Here is the before and after.  I love the soft vintage look of my edit with the golden tones.  This feather texture is a keeper.

You can use any type of image texture. Here is beautiful image from Adia Speer Photography (Facebook) where I used a flower texture.


I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.  Any questions, just leave a comment below.  I would love to see your befores and afters posted on my Facebook page.  Have a wonderful Sunday!!!

Do you want to download my favorite CoffeeShop PSE/Photoshop Actions and Lightroom Presets or Design Elements in one convenient zipped file AND help support this blog? Just click here for my action pack or here for a download of some of my most popular design elements, storyboards, and textures.

For complete info on installing all of my actions, click here.

Friday, March 21, 2014

{Friday Photo Bliss} and Preview of Coming Attractions!


On Fridays I like to post an image that makes me smile.  I love Lego creations!  That Lego guy looks really peeved.  I think he might need a laxative…



We all have these types of spring images of flowers (weeds) and they can be pretty boring.   But with Photoshop or PSE and a few color fill layers and a beautiful texture from Shadowhouse Creations,  you can make your own flower art!


I am going to go through this edit step-by-step and show you that anyone can create their own beautiful art from a photo of a simple weed.  I will also write an action for part of this edit, then you can simply add your favorite texture.  This photo screams "Spring!" to me.

Hope everything has a great weekend! First tutorial will be out this Sunday, so see you here at the CoffeeShop Blog.  :-)

Do you want to download my favorite CoffeeShop PSE/Photoshop Actions and Lightroom Presets or Design Elements in one convenient zipped file AND help support this blog? Just click here for my action pack or here for a download of some of my most popular design elements, storyboards, and textures.

For complete info on installing all of my actions, click here.

Thursday, March 20, 2014

CoffeeShop Baby Peach Photoshop/PSE Action!


I have had many of my readers write to ask me to put the "Peachy Glow" layer from my Miracle Baby retouching action in its own action.  So today I wanted to post my newest action, CoffeeShop Baby Peach!  This action adds a beautiful peachy glow to portraits and has a bonus layer to boost contrast.

I used a beautiful unedited image by Adia Speer Photography (Facebook) in this action tutorial.

I also wanted to preview the texture/editing tutorial I am posting tomorrow!  I will walk you through the edit and also show you how I use free textures to create these beautiful custom backgrounds.  I will link everything for you.



CoffeeShop Baby Peach Action Tutorial:


Here is my original unedited image.  Start the action.


When the action runs, it will prompt you to select the portrait's skin.  Use the eye dropper tool and then move the Fuzziness to taste.  The area selected should look white/blown out.


Here is my final image with the action layers.  I made no adjustments in this edit, but you can adjust the opacity if needed.  I hope you enjoy playing with this new action!

Download the free CoffeeShop Baby Peach Photoshop/PSE action.

Do you want to download my favorite CoffeeShop PSE/Photoshop Actions and Lightroom Presets or Design Elements in one convenient zipped file AND help support this blog? Just click here for my action pack or here for a download of some of my most popular design elements, storyboards, and textures.

For complete info on installing all of my actions, click here.

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

CoffeeShop "Sarah" Digital Paper Pack!


So we are back to school in our house.  Today it is going to be fun because the kids have homeschool PE after lunch and we plan on going fishing at my parent's house this afternoon.  Today the weather is gorgeous and I need to get all of us outside before the heat of summer.  It is approaching quickly...

This weekend I had some time to work on a new website/blog template for my website design business that has a sidebar and a menubar on top of the page.  I called it Dahlia and you can see a sample site here.  Right now my website designs are on sale, you can read all about them here.  I absolutely love working with my clients and creating custom sites, so if you are interested in a new look just contact me.  Proceeds from my design business help support this blog and my editing/designing addiction.  ;-)

Today I wanted to post my newest digital paper pack:  CoffeeShop Sarah.  This set includes four corresponding papers and a cute little "sticker".  I am so excited about Spring showing up here in Texas.

Download the CoffeeShop Sarah Paper Pack.  You can also download it here.

Do you want to download my favorite CoffeeShop PSE/Photoshop Actions and Lightroom Presets or Design Elements in one convenient zipped file AND help support this blog? Just click here for my action pack or here for a download of some of my most popular design elements, storyboards, and textures.

For complete info on installing all of my actions, click here.

Sunday, March 16, 2014

CoffeeShop Jane Austen's Romance Photoshop/PSE Vintage-Inspired Action!


Today I am posting this beautiful vintage-inspired action that has two optional automatic texture layers. I love to add textures to my images but sometimes I want someone else to do all of the texture work, so I wrote this action.  I am a huge Jane Austen fan so I decided to name this one after her.


If needed, make adjustments to the texture layers as the action runs.  I usually just leave them as programmed.  You can adjust all of the layers, and turn on one or both of the texture layers (Painted and  Vintage).  Adjust the layers' opacity to taste.


This is the original image. I downloaded it from Pixabay.


This is the finished image after running the action, no adjustments.


Vintage texture layer turned on.


Painting texture layer turned on.


Painting texture + dialed down the opacity of Add Vintage Haze layer.

Here is another edit.  Mouse over to see the "before".


I hope you have fun playing with this action!

Download the CoffeeShop Jane Austen's Romance Photoshop/PSE Action.  You can also download it here.

Do you want to download my favorite CoffeeShop PSE/Photoshop Actions and Lightroom Presets or Design Elements in one convenient zipped file AND help support this blog? Just click here for my action pack or here for a download of some of my most popular design elements, storyboards, and textures.

For complete info on installing all of my actions, click here.