CoffeeShop "Bridgette" Fine Art Texture Set

What a gloomy rainy week we are having. Sometimes I don't mind because I get more things done inside and I always have a pile of books, but I really miss the sunshine and going hiking at one of our neighborhood parks. I know it isn't the weather, it is your clothing, but when it is cold and rainy I just want to stay inside and relax. 

Today I wanted to share a new fine art texture set I made, named after one of my mother's best friends. This set is a gorgeous painterly texture and looks so nice on floral and still life images. I included three colors, but feel free to change the color to match your image. 

I love this edit!

And this is a slightly different technique, but I think it is so beautiful and winterly.

(original image)

I added the image above my texture and put the image in Overlay blending mode. Then I added a Hue Saturation layer underneath it (over the texture) and reduced the color of that texture by using a Saturation of -35. Love this one!!!

Original Images: (Yellow Flower, Blue Flower, Pink Flower, Flowers in Snow).

Download the CoffeeShop Bridgette Fine Art Texture Set.

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 all the actions/presets and professional design elements, storyboards, and textures.

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

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CoffeeShop "Rossetti" Fine Art Texture Set!

I am so excited to share my newest fine art texture/paper pack today! This one was named after the poet Christina Rossetti because of the victorian letter ephemera I used on it from The Graphics Fairy premium site. 

These textures are gorgeous used on portraits or still life images. You can also use them as digital paper on your own designs. I generally put the blending mode in soft light or overlay. You can also invert the B&W texture or add colors to really enhance your own image and make stunning art! I posted a tutorial below to inspire you.

In the example below I added this texture in overlay blending mode on simple digital paper to age it. This is part of a paper pack I am releasing this week. Isn't it pretty?

These floral edits would be beautiful framed or used on greeting cards. You can download a high resolution version of the one I created in the tutorial below.

Original Images (red flower, pink flower, white flower)

CoffeeShop Tutorial: Adding the Rossetti Texture

This edit was so easy! I added the Rossetti 2 B&W texture in overlay blending mode and then inverted the texture so that the text would be dark rather than white. To invert a texture, click to select it and then Ctrl(Cmd)-I.

Then I added two Color Fill layers on top. The first was a dark navy (Hex 0a0f46) in Exclusion blending mode and the second was an ivory (Hex fadcb9) in Soft Light. 

I love how it turned out, and if you want to download the one I made in this tutorial click on the image below. Download the texture set toward the bottom of this post. I hope you have fun playing and I would love to see your own edits using this set on my Facebook page!

Download the CoffeeShop Rossetti Fine Art Texture Set!

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 all the actions/presets and professional design elements, storyboards, and textures.

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CoffeeShop "Worn Marble" Fine Art Texture Set!

It has been busy at the CoffeeShop house. This year I am homeschooling a 7th and 9th grader, so it is more school and more work. Thankfully both boys also can work on their own independently for much of their school, but I need to make sure they have everything available and be there for questions. Next year Duke is going to our local college just down the road to start classes and get  dual high school/college credit. I am excited for him! They have cheap tuition for homeschoolers and he will start getting college credit at 15 or 16, depending on when he starts. 

I am going to post about our homeschooling curriculum soon, there are some things I am just so happy about using. And I still love having the kids at home. On most days. Ha ha!

Today I wanted to post another fine art texture set called "Worn Marble". I LOVE these textures, they are so gorgeous on still life images. I am going to post a tutorial on using different actions with this texture on some image later this week. I was going back through my actions and I forgot how many of them I find so beautiful. I used one on the image above, it really enhanced the original image. I also love the yellow flower version.

Use these layered on images in soft light, overlay, multiply, or screen blending modes. Or even alone as papers. 

I am also going to work on updating my website this month, making sure you can easily find all of my newest actions/tutorials/textures/designs. 

Download the CoffeeShop "Worn Marble" Fine Art Texture Set!

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 all the actions/presets and professional design elements, storyboards, and textures.

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

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CoffeeShop "Thankful" Social Media Storyboard Set!

Oh my gosh, where has the time gone? We have resisted Christmas decorating so far (and never got around to carving our pumpkins), but plan on putting up the tree this weekend. My sister Heather and her kids are coming to spend Thanksgiving with our parents and my family, so I am really excited about next week.

This year we are going to break tradition and not serve a turkey. Paul is going to make bbq chicken thighs and Chappell Hill link sausage on the grill. Carving the turkey is always such a hassle and I always get stuck with a lot of white meat, my least favorite part of the turkey. So this year we are going to go crazy and cook meats that everyone likes.

Today I wanted to share some social media square photo templates for Thanksgiving. These are for Photoshop/PSE, so simply add your photos using the clipping masks. You can adjust the text and text color to taste. I love the free fonts on Font Squirrel if you want to use some special fonts. 

These would be perfect for posting on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or even your website or text to your parents!

A special thanks to Lisa Rubel Photography (website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) for allowing me to use her stunning images in my example storyboard.

Download the CoffeeShop "Thankful" Storyboard Set!

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 all the actions/presets and professional design elements, storyboards, and textures.

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

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CoffeeShop "8x10" Mat" Set!

Today I have a new set of 8x10 storyboards that have digital drop-shadow mats. I personally don't like to buy paper mats for my photos when I frame them, so I design my own custom ones with drop-shadows, add my images, and print and frame ! Super easy and no one knows the difference unless they take your frame apart.

This set contains 5 mats for Photoshop/PSE. You add images using the clipping masks and then adjust the drop-shadow effect to taste. The "paper" mat's color can also be changed to coordinate with your house or image.

Feel free to change the size of the mats before adding your images. You can also add digital paper to the mats, I will post a tutorial later this week. These storyboards can also be posted on the web.

A special thanks to Lisa Rubel Photography (website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) for allowing me to use her stunning images in my example storyboard.

Download the CoffeeShop "8x10" Mat Set!

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 all the actions/presets and professional design elements, storyboards, and textures.

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

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CoffeeShop "Portrait Mini" Photoshop/PSE Retouching Action!

One of the strengths of Photoshop and PSE is that you can retouch images quickly without making "Plastic People" (unlike most apps out there).

The photographer Amanda Hunter ( Facebook) contacted me the other day and asked if I could make a mini-version of my huge CoffeeShop Portrait Toolbox 2.0 action. She wanted it distilled down to a simple six layer version and I loved her suggestion. So today I am sharing my newest portrait retouching action called CoffeeShop "Portrait Mini".

This action adjusts contrast, brightens your image, smooths skin, enhances eyes, and whitens teeth. It works in both Photoshop and Photoshop Elements. I posted a little tutorial below how to use it, and you can download the free action on the bottom of this post.

I really appreciate when readers make suggestions for my blog, so thank you Amanda!




CoffeeShop "Portrait Mini" Photoshop/PSE Action Tutorial:

Open up your image and start the action. 

Adjust the Curves to taste. I pulled up the middle a bit to slightly lighten the image.

After the action finishes running you will see 6 new layers but your image won't look much different other than slightly brighter. 

Adjust the opacity of the top three layers and paint on the layer masks on the bottom three. 

Define: This layer adds definition to the shadows in your image, so it really looks great on most hair/brows/lashes. Adjust the opacity of this layer to taste.

Brighten Everything: Adds brightness to your image. Adjust the opacity to taste. 

Brightens Whites: This layer adds a nice contrast to the lighter parts of your image. Adjust the opacity to taste.

Whiten Teeth: Click on to select the black layer mask on this layer and then use a hard white brush to paint on the teeth. If you want to see where you are painting as seen above, click the "\" key. The background will turn red and you will see where you are adding the layer effects. Click the "\" key again to remove the red.

Skin Smoothing: Click on the black layer mask of this layer and then use a semi-soft white brush to paint softness on the skin. Avoid the lips, eyes, brows, tip of nose, etc. Then adjust the opacity of that layer to taste.

Eye Pop: Click on the black layer mask of this layer and use a hard white brush to paint on the iris to make the eyes really pop.

This retouching is quite subtle but really enhances the image! And no plastic person, it just looks like good lighting.

Download the CoffeeShop "Portrait Mini" 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 "Color Bar 6" Fine Art Photoshop/PSE Action!

I love when readers write me and request actions, presets, or storyboards. It is important to me to design freebies that you want, so I am thrilled when I get new ideas! One reader asked for me to design a new, bigger color bar action that would look gorgeous posted on Facebook, so here it is. 

The CoffeeShop "Color Bar 6" action loads your image and then allows you to custom pick 6 colors for the side color bar. You can print this or post it on social media, blogs, or websites. This is also a great way to pick colors for designing interiors or anything else, just grab an image you love and pick out coordinating colors. This action is so easy to use, and I hope you have fun!

For my example boards I used this flower image, this chair image, and a baby image from Lisa Rubel Photography (website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter). 

You can download this free action toward the bottom of this post, after the tutorial.

CoffeeShop "Color Bar 6" Photoshop/PSE Action Tutorial:

Start the CoffeeShop "Color Bar 6" action and place the image when prompted.

Resize it to fit over the black square and click Enter. 

Note: If you have to zoom out, use the keystroke Ctrl (Cmd in Mac)-0 (zero). To zoom back in repeat the keystroke.

The action will then prompt you to grab six colors from the image, one at a time. Simply click on the image to grab a color then press Return and repeat until all six color bars are filled.

You can make adjustments after the action finishes, just double-click any color and change it by clicking on the image. You can also resize the image or flip the orientation after it is finished. If you are posting it on a white background on the web add a drop shadow using this action.

Merge the layers and save and post or print! 

Download the CoffeeShop "Color Bar 6" Photoshop/PSE action!

Do you want to download all of my favorite professional CoffeeShop PSE/Photoshop actions (including exclusive ones not found anywhere for free), textures, papers, clip art/design elements, storyboards, and Lightroom presets in one convenient zipped file AND help support this blog? Just click here for my CoffeeShop Mega Download Pack!

CoffeeShop "Gently Weathered" Fine Art Texture Set

Today I have a new set of beautiful fine art textures I call "Gently Weathered". These are lovely subtle painterly textures that look amazing on so many different types of images.

Use these textures in Soft Light, Overlay, Multiply, Screen, or a combo of several different blending modes. You can desaturate them or even change their colors with a simple Hue/Saturation layer.

A special thanks to Lisa Rubel Photography (website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) for allowing me to use this stunning baby image in my example. You can download the original pink and white flowers used in my ad. You can download this rose here.

Download the CoffeeShop "Gently Weathered" Fine Art Textures.

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 all the actions/presets and professional design elements, storyboards, and textures.

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

More from Rita:
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CoffeeShop "White Elephant" Fine Art Texture and Photoshop Tutorial

I just made this new texture and I am in love with it! It can be quite subtle but absolutely gorgeous on the right images. I find myself using it on florals and baby portraits, but you can use it on many other types of images.

A special thanks to Lisa Rubel Photography (website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) for allowing me to use her stunning baby image in this tutorial. You can find the floral image here.

I wrote a little tutorial on using this texture in Photoshop/PSE on baby portraits. You can download the free "White Elephant" texture towards the bottom of this post.




CoffeeShop "White Elephant" Texture on Baby Portrait Tutorial:

This is the gorgeous original image from Lisa Rubel. 

I added the "White Elephant" texture on top in 100% Soft Light blending mode. I want to remove this texture from her skin while leaving the texture color.

If I added a layer mask and just painted the texture off her skin, she would look too dark against the background.

First step is to select the baby. There are so many ways to do this, but on an image with a simple background like this one there is a clever little tool in Photoshop. 

Turn off the texture layer and click to select the baby image.

Click "W" to grab your magic wand and then look at the selection menubar. Click the "Select Subject" button.

Magically, the baby is selected!

Turn back on the texture layer and make sure it is selected.

Then use the Gaussian Blur filter to smooth out the texture while retaining the pretty ivory color.

If you want to add more texture, simply copy the texture layer and adjust that layer's opacity to taste.

She turned out gorgeous, right? It really brightened her skin and the texture looks so pretty on the background.

I would love to see your own edits using this texture on my Facebook page!

Download the CoffeeShop "White Elephant" Fine Art Texture.

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 all the actions/presets and professional design elements, storyboards, and textures.

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

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CoffeeShop "Soft Bright B&W" Fine Art Photoshop/PSE Action!

I wanted to post my newest free action called "Soft Bright B&W". This action works in both Photoshop and PSE and turns color images into stunning soft B&W's with pretty highlights. 

It is completely adjustable but usually doesn't need any tweaking. However, if you are starting with lighter images you might want to adjust the Levels layer, as seen in the tutorial below.

A special thanks to Lisa Rubel Photography (website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) for allowing me to use her stunning portrait images in my post.

You can download the rose image here.

CoffeeShop "Soft Bright B&W" Action Tutorial:

This is my starting image from the talented Lisa Rubel. As you can see, it has quite a bit of white so I will show you how to keep from blowing out the details.

Run the CoffeeShop "Soft  Bright B&W" action. This is the edit without any adjustments. As you can see, the whites are too bright.

 I first turned down the opacity of the Soft and Bright layer.

Then I opened up the Soft and Bright levels adjustment by double-clicking on it, and moved only the middle slider under the curve to the right as seen in the screenshot above. This allows me to lower the contrast and recover some detail in the whites. You can adjust all three sliders to taste for your own images.

I hope you love this edit as much as I do!

Download the CoffeeShop "Soft Bright B&W" 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 all the actions/presets and professional design elements, storyboards, and textures.

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

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CoffeeShop "Painted Hydrangea" Digital Paper Pack!

OK, Spring Break is over (too soon!) and I am back to work. I am finishing up a few actions, but today I have a brand new beautiful painted hydrangea paper pack. 

This set includes six 12 inch x 12 inch papers that would look amazing in your own custom designs, photo overlays, frames, backgrounds, cards, etc. You can post them on the web (Facebook, blogs, websites, Instagram, etc.)  or print them. I have several examples posted below. They come with free commercial terms-of-use.

I posted a little tutorial below showing you how to quickly and easily change the color of these papers to match your photos and designs. Download this set on the bottom of the post.

A special thanks to Lisa Rubel Photography (website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) for allowing me to use these adorable dog images in my tutorial.

(original image)

CoffeeShop Tutorial on How to Change the Colors of The Hydrangea Papers:

It is so easy to quickly change the colors of these papers to match your photos and designs.

In this example I wanted to match the floral hydrangea background to the dog's pillow. "As is" it is too purple. Select the hydrangea paper layer.

Then add a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer above it. Move the Master Hue/Saturation slider until you are happy with the color. As you can see by my settings, I changed the Hue to -29 and the Saturation to -31 and now the flowers are light blue and match the stool pillow perfectly!

I hope you enjoy using these papers!

 Download the CoffeeShop "Painted Hydrangea" Digital Paper Set!

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 all the actions/presets and professional design elements, storyboards, and textures.

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

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