I have been doing a lot of creating with digital images. It is fun to create your own elements and alter them in various ways to suit your projects.
This hand embroidered pillow top was in the heaps of old linens at the rummage sale. I thought the images were charming and picked it up to use as a source for some digital embellishments.
For my first attempt, I chose the blue butterfly. The embroidery is worked in yarn on a linen weave fabric. I took photos of each image, edited the photos in CM Memory Manager and then imported the images into my CM StoryBook Creator Plus 3.0 software.
It is a slow process to do this - not difficult but you do have to be fussy and make many minor adjustments. I like to make the image as large as I can and zoom in to get as close as possible on the details. The embroidered antennae on this butterfly were particularly time consuming. The image above is my current version on a 12 x 12 page.
If you start with an image with a light background, it is a good idea to review your result with a dark background to help you see places that need cleaning up along the edges. I may do a bit more fussing with this but I think it worked out nicely.
I like to experiment with the special effects and filters. The screen shot above shows the oil painting effect which is one of my favorites.
I also like this mosaic effect. Once you have your basic image there are so many variations possible - you can create something that is uniquely yours.
When you save your image as a png file you can resize and copy and paste as many as you want for your project. I have added this version of the butterfly to my User Content in the StoryBook program so I can use it whenever I want to.
I wonder if anyone noticed something a bit odd about this butterfly - a sign that it is truly handmade....
(I drove to New Jersey today - it was very hot - the car thermometer said 94 degrees! I am here to see our son's music composition final performance tomorrow afternoon so this is just a quick trip. I am not as able to check email or comments but I will catch up with everything when I get back home)
Are you talking about the fact that the wings are not colored the same way? Light blue and white on one side and darker blues on the other. Can't imagine that something that was manufactured would have made it like that.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter was in NJ this weekend too and has been telling me that it was horribly hot. Here in Western NY it was in the mid 80's but beautiful!
Very pretty. As for odd....non-symetrical colors, patterns and outline color on the wings.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful piece of embroidery. You got me, I couldn't figure out how to prove it was homemade. I like what you did with the marblized blue backgroud and butterflies.
ReplyDeleteAs the left and right are totally different on this butterfly, you could copy each wing, flip, and have two butterflies, each with their own color of wings. It's excellent needlework, but odd that they made each side different.
ReplyDeleteDebbie (from Sugar Land)
Beautiful butterfly! I love vintage fabrics, but never thought to take pictures of them or scan them into my computer to use. Maybe that's because I'm a bit afraid of the whole digital thing. I'm not very computer savvy. And I did notice the butterfly has different wings, not to mention color on each side. :)
ReplyDeleteDebbie - that is exactly what I plan to do when I have a bit more time to work with this image.
ReplyDeleteThe funny thing is that I did the cropping and was so focused on getting the edges that I didn't notice right away that the wings were colored differently - only that the outlines were different. The blue outline would work with the magic wand but the gray one would not.
Sometimes you can't see the forest for the trees!
What a great find. The butterflies are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThank you
Linda in Stanwood
Ihave a portable hand scanner that allows you to scan almost anything, anywhere..you just run it over fabric, textures, etc. I have scanned curtains, bedspreads, rugs, wallpaper...you name it..so much fun..item doesn't have to fit on a flat bed scanner!!
ReplyDeleteLovely! Great job with the digitizing. Nice clean edge.
ReplyDeleteThese butterflies are just beautiful. I did notice the the wings are not colored the same. I love to go rummage sales too. One always finds some of the neatest things.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lucky find and I am so impressed at how you were able to make a paper project from fabric and fibers!
ReplyDeleteI really love these butterflys. They are so unusual with the coloring. The whole workpiece is great. "Wink - Wink" on the stripes and plaids. Only a guy could get away with that. Love it!
ReplyDeleteDiane,
ReplyDeleteI am so amazed by your creativity! I have been considering digital scrapbooking for some time now, but have been afraid to make the jump. You make it seem so easy!
Come back to NJ soon!
Colleen
What an amazing idea. Not sure if I'd have the patience to try something like that!
ReplyDelete