I am alive!

 

So you might have noticed that I haven't been here on my blog for a few months. I was working full-time at my husband's clinic and busy with the family so I had no spare time to spend here. I am now back to part-time at the clinic and homeschooling Isaac (Luke is in college), but I hope to get back posting my freebies, so keep an eye out for me here!

I didn't have much time to go on any adventures this summer, but here is a photo of us last night at an outdoor concert (CCR cover band) at a local winery. It has been so hot (one of the hottest summers on record) so we haven't been doing much outdoors. But a picnic with the family under the trees with ice-cold sparkling water and white wine listening to live music; it doesn't get much nicer than that!

 Do you want to download thousands of professional CoffeeShop PSE/Photoshop actions (including exclusive ones not found anywhere for free), textures/overlays, scrapbooking papers, clip art/design elements, photo storyboards and frames, and Lightroom presets from this site in one convenient zipped file AND help support this one-woman blog?

Just click here for my CoffeeShop Mega Download Pack!

CoffeeShop "Square Mood Boards #5" Photo Template Set!

Happy Summer! Sorry I have been MIA, I have been busy trying to finish the homeschool year with the boys and working part-time at my husband's business. Luke is a senior in high school and just has to finish calculus and Isaac is still working on chemistry, but they are both almost done! We also went to the beach two weekends ago which was absolutely wonderful. The beach is my happy place. 

I hope your summer is going great!

Today I wanted to post a new square mood storyboard set. This set has clipping masks, so just add your images using the clipping masks (with the free action included in the download). To grab colors from your images, double-click on each "mood" square to open up the color picker and then click on a color in your image to grab it. This is a great way to get an inspired color palette. You can print or post these photo storyboards.

Check out my other free mood boards! Set 1, Set 2, Set 3, Set 4

CoffeeShop "Square Mood Boards #5" Photoshop/PSE Photo Template Set

Do you want to download thousands of professional CoffeeShop PSE/Photoshop actions (including exclusive ones not found anywhere for free), textures/overlays, scrapbooking papers, clip art/design elements, photo storyboards and frames, and Lightroom presets from this site in one convenient zipped file AND help support this one-woman blog?

Just click here for my CoffeeShop Mega Download Pack!

CoffeeShop "Catlin #5" Fine Art Texture Set!

Today I have a brand new fine art texture set to share with you called Catlin 5. This set is very soft and pretty and looks gorgeous applied over floral and other still life images, but you can use them on portraits or landscapes. Try de-saturating, layering, or changing their colors for an almost infinite variety of edits!

The beauty of textures is you can take any of your own images or stock images and turn them into unique works of art that would look gorgeous on cards and or hanging on the wall. Design trends are going away from mass-produced art so why not make your own beautiful prints to hang on your own walls, sell (my textures all come with free commercial TOU), or give to loved ones!

Download the texture set for free toward the bottom of my post.

 Grab the other Catlin sets! Catlin 1, Catlin 2, Catlin 3, Catlin 4

 

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Download the CoffeeShop "Catlin #5" Fine Art Texture Set!

 Do you want to download thousands of professional CoffeeShop PSE/Photoshop actions (including exclusive ones not found anywhere for free), textures/overlays, scrapbooking papers, clip art/design elements, photo storyboards and frames, and Lightroom presets from this site in one convenient zipped file AND help support this one-woman blog?

Just click here for my CoffeeShop Mega Download Pack!

CoffeeShop "Modern Botanicals" Printable Digital Paper Set!

Today I wanted to share a new printable digital paper pack I call "Modern Botanicals". I love creating illustration-themed papers and I used many of the beautiful images from The Graphics Fairy premium site to create this set. Most of the images were color but I wrote a little action that quickly turns them into B&W illustrations. I will be sharing that action with you this week. 

This set of papers are 8.5 x 11 inches so they can all be printed or used on the web and they come with free commercial terms-of-use. You can see a blown-up version below of the details. 

I hope you love them as much as I do!

Download the CoffeeShop "Modern Botanicals" Printable Paper Set!

Do you want to download thousands of professional CoffeeShop PSE/Photoshop actions (including exclusive ones not found anywhere for free), textures/overlays, scrapbooking papers, clip art/design elements, photo storyboards and frames, and Lightroom presets from this site in one convenient zipped file AND help support this one-woman blog?

Just click here for my CoffeeShop Mega Download Pack!

CoffeeShop "Underwater Luxe 2" Fine Art Photoshop/PSE Action!

 

Happy Friday! One of my most downloaded Photoshop/PSE actions is the Underwater Luxe. I love that action but after using it for some time I wanted to write an updated version that I believe is better. Today you can download this update called Underwater Luxe 2. Yes, a very original name. Hee hee!

This action reduces haze, adds beautiful dark contrast, and allows you to remove blue casts off and smooth skin in underwater images. But it isn't only for portraits!

I have a step-by-step tutorial posted below (I overdid the effect somewhat so it was easier to see a difference on a small screen). Download the free action near the bottom of this post.

CoffeeShop "Underwater Luxe 2" Tutorial: 

 

 (original image)

 

 

Run "Underwater Luxe 2". A Color Range pop-up will appear, this step is for skin smoothing and is optional. If you are using this on a portrait, simply click on the skin area that you wish to smooth to select it and adjust the Fuzziness to taste. Just leave "as-is" if you don't need skin smoothing.

 

Adjust the Radius and Threshold setting until you are satisfied with the skin smoothing (or do nothing if you don't need this layer). You will be able to dial it down after the action finishes so if anything, overdo it a little.

 

This is what the image looks like after "Underwater Luxe 2" has finished. Lovely, right?

 

 

Click to select the Luxe's layer mask and use your favorite selection method to select the person (or animal/fish) where you want to remove some of the dark contrast. Then go to Edit<Fill and fill the layer mask with 50% gray. Or just start painting over the image with a low opacity black brush.

 

If you want to remove more Luxe off the skin, use a soft black brush at low opacity where needed.

 

Click to select the Remove Blue Tint 1 layer's mask and use a soft white brush to remove any blue tint off of skin/eyes/teeth.

 

Keep both Contrast Pop layers on and adjust each opacity to taste. Turn off the Skin Smooth layer if you don't need it or adjust its opacity. Adjust the Define 1 and Define 2's opacity to taste. Then click on the Add Warmth to Skin's layer mask and use a low opacity white brush to gently add back some additional warmth to skin if needed.

 

As a final step, open up the top Levels 1 layer and adjust the sliders to taste. Now it is finished and I think it looks great! Note: I did overdo the edit slightly so that you can see the changes on a small screen.

 

Here is one more, you don't just use this action on people!

 

(original image)

 

Download the CoffeeShop "Underwater Luxe 2" Fine Art Photoshop/PSE Action!

Do you want to download thousands of professional CoffeeShop PSE/Photoshop actions (including exclusive ones not found anywhere for free), textures/overlays, scrapbooking papers, clip art/design elements, photo storyboards and frames, and Lightroom presets from this site in one convenient zipped file AND help support this one-woman blog?

Just click here for my CoffeeShop Mega Download Pack!

CoffeeShop "Square Mood Boards" Photo Template Set #4

It is finally Friday! Today I wanted to share a new set of square Photoshop/PSE storyboard. These photo templates can be printed or posted on the web and have clipping masks to add your images. You can easily change the background and frame color. 

To add colors to the color mood strips, double-click on each "mood color strip" layer which automatically selects the eye dropper tool. Then click on any image in your template to "grab" that color. This is a great way to get color inspiration from photos.

Check out my other mood boards! Set 1, Set 2, Set 3

Download the CoffeeShop "Square Mood Boards" Photo Template Set!

Do you want to download thousands of professional CoffeeShop PSE/Photoshop actions (including exclusive ones not found anywhere for free), textures/overlays, scrapbooking papers, clip art/design elements, photo storyboards and frames, and Lightroom presets from this site in one convenient zipped file AND help support this one-woman blog?

Just click here for my CoffeeShop Mega Download Pack!

CoffeeShop "Sears, Roebuck and Co. 1914 Wallpaper Samples" Paper Set!

I found these gorgeous Sears, Roebuck, and Co 1914 public domain wallpaper samples and I turned them into papers that you can print or use on your own designs. I used Photoshop to clean-up and edit them and I am really happy with the results. I changed some of the design elements (added flowers and centered some of the elements) and colors but most of the original details remain.  

Download the CoffeeShop "Sears 1914 Wallpaper" Paper Pack.

Do you want to download thousands of professional CoffeeShop PSE/Photoshop actions (including exclusive ones not found anywhere for free), textures/overlays, scrapbooking papers, clip art/design elements, photo storyboards and frames, and Lightroom presets from this site in one convenient zipped file AND help support this one-woman blog?

Just click here for my CoffeeShop Mega Download Pack!

CoffeeShop "Creamy Luxe" Photoshop/PSE Action Revisited!

I am going to start revisiting some of my older Photoshop/PSE actions every week. I have over 400 actions on this site and I love rediscovering old classics. It is spring, so why not play around with a perfect spring edit!

Today I wanted to edit with my "Creamy Luxe" action. I wrote this one back in 2015. I had an 11 and an 8 year old boy in the house back then, and I have no idea how I got anything done on my blog. This is a simple little action but is stunning applied on floral images and outdoor portraits.

Here is an example photo edit using "Creamy Luxe". Download the original image here.

This is what the image looks like after running the action without any adjustments. This is pretty but I want to soften it even more.

I turned off the Define layer and brought up the Creamy layer from 50% to 90%. I love this edit so much!

Finally, I added one of my fine art textures. I used the Catlin 2b texture from this post. I desaturated the texture and applied it twice on top in Soft Light blending mode at 100% and then 50%.

 Download the print I made by clicking on the image or on this link.

  Visit the CoffeeShop "Creamy Luxe" Photoshop/PSE post to download the action!

Do you want to download thousands of professional CoffeeShop PSE/Photoshop actions (including exclusive ones not found anywhere for free), textures/overlays, scrapbooking papers, clip art/design elements, photo storyboards and frames, and Lightroom presets from this site in one convenient zipped file AND help support this one-woman blog?

Just click here for my CoffeeShop Mega Download Pack!

CoffeeShop "Linnaeus" Fine Art Texture Set!

I am BACK!  I have had a few people check on me on my Facebook page and I really appreciate their concern. Luke and I have been working full-time at my husband's business, filling in until we hired some new staff. That put a damper on the time and energy I needed to post here on my blog, but now we have a full staff and I am back to working part-time for Paul (when needed). I really missed creating.

So a few things. First, my CoffeeShop MegaPack is on sale this month, so please check it out! And if you have purchased it already within two years, email me if you want my newest version for free. I just updated it today if you want my newest version!

Second, I am updating all of my download links. Many of the older ones are broken or blocked by some browsers because the "HTTP" is not "HTTPS". When I uploaded my older freebies there was no "S" to be had, so I am painstakingly going back and adding that blasted "S". If you are having issues downloading, simply copy the download link to Notepad or Word and change the "HTTP" to "HTTPS" and the link will work. If your browser allows you to click on the old link it will be directed to the secure site automatically. And if you find any broken links or issues, just leave a comment on that post and I will fix it.

Third, I am posting a new fine art texture set called "Linnaeus". These look gorgeous overlaid on images or used alone as papers. I have posted two of my editing recipes below using this set. You can download the textures for free using the link toward the bottom of this post.

  Download the CoffeeShop "Linnaeus" Fine Art Texture Set!

Do you want to download thousands of professional CoffeeShop PSE/Photoshop actions (including exclusive ones not found anywhere for free), textures/overlays, scrapbooking papers, clip art/design elements, photo storyboards and frames, and Lightroom presets from this site in one convenient zipped file AND help support this one-woman blog?

Just click here for my CoffeeShop Mega Download Pack!

CoffeeShop "Vintage Blue" 19th Century Wallpaper Paper Pack

Today I am posting a new 19th Century wallpaper sample set. I found these lovely papers and with the magic of Photoshop I cleaned them up and colored them all a coordinating blue. These are large papers and come with free commercial terms-of-us.

 Download the CoffeeShop "Vintage Blue" 19th Century Wallpaper Paper Pack!  

Do you want to download thousands of professional CoffeeShop PSE/Photoshop actions (including exclusive ones not found anywhere for free), textures/overlays, scrapbooking papers, clip art/design elements, photo storyboards and frames, and Lightroom presets from this site in one convenient zipped file AND help support this one-woman blog?

Just click here for my CoffeeShop Mega Download Pack!