Gang, it’s here, finally, 2012 is here.

I hope you had fun on the New Years Eve. For me it was not bad at all. Actually, I can’t remember when was the last time I danced so much :)

Well, now we’re back to the track ;) and it’s time, again, to make some useful stuff for you guys. And I hope you will like this one because, today, I proudly bring you

300dpi, print ready, Legal/A3 size, Calender 2012 – free download 

I prepared two versions: horizontal and vertical so it’s up to you to decide which one will fit to your “creative wall” better.

Horizontal Printable 2012 Calendar – Legal/A3 size

Free Printable 2012 Calendar  Download (Horizontal)

Vertical Printable 2012 Calendar – Legal/A3 size

Free Printable 2012 Calendar Download (Vertical)

In case you were wondering, I managed to create this Calender rather quickly (you could create a Calender like this in minutes actually). How? Why?

Well, easy. You probably guessed. I used the following Photoshop brushes to make it:

Swirled Trees Photoshop brushes set

- 20+20 Photoshop brushes
- Bonus trees brushes set (46+46) – trunk is separated from tree top for easier coloring
- Compatible with Photoshop 7.0 up to CS5- Compatible with Photoshop Elements 3.0 and newer versions
- Also compatible with PC/Mac
- COMMERCIAL LICENSE

Video Tutorial on how to use Swirled Trees Brushes Set: How to Use Swirled Trees Brushes Set

Birds Photoshop brushes set

- This set consists of 45 brushes up to 2498px AND 45 brushes up to 600px
- Compatible with Photoshop 7.0 up to CS5- Compatible with Photoshop Elements 3.0 and newer versions
- Also compatible with PC/Mac
- COMMERCIAL LICENSE

Birds brushes [These were also used in logo: Chris Turnbull Photography
Thanks Chris! :)]

2012 Calendar Photoshop brushes set

12 brushes in three designs and three sizes:
* up to 636 pixels @300dpi
* up to 1342 pixels @300dpi
* up to 2470 pixels @300dpi

- 36 transparent PNG files (approx. size 10 inches @300 dpi)
- Compatible with Photoshop 7.0 up to CS5- Compatible with Photoshop Elements 3.0 and newer versions
- Also compatible with PC/Mac
- COMMERCIAL LICENSE

All three sets are a part of the 800+ Photoshop brushes MEGA SET – click here to get the whole pack –>>

Christmas time is coming and I know many of you, just like me, enjoy creating your own decorations at home, in the company of your friends and family. It’s more fun and these decorations have much bigger value than the ones bought in the mall.

So, today, I came up with this idea of creating a wreath. And, as a basis for it, I used styrofoam.  I made it with the stuff I had at home and I hope you will like it enough to try and do something like this yourself, following this DIY tutorial.

1. Printing images

Print some of your photos, use images of your friends, family, or pets (as I did in this occasion) …  in 2×2 inches size. Of course, I could not resist but to decorate my images with Photoshop brushes:  Christmas II Photoshop Brushes (20+20+20) + 20 PNGs, and I used them as photo masks (there are few brushes in a set which can be used as photo masks too. Also I used one of the free Photoshop brushes from GreenBulbGang.Com – Grunge Stars)

And, well, I printed them out …

2. Preparation

Prepare the following: styrofoam, fabric, colorful fabric ribbons, wire, pine cones, gold color, glue gun.

3. Cutting the styrofoam (Part I)

Before cutting a circle, of course, we need to mark the styrofoam, I draw two circles using a pen, pick and a rope. No, that’s not my hand :) My hubby helped me.

4. Cutting the styrofoam (Part II)

That’s it. Now I had to cut it out. First I cut the smaller one. I know there is a styrofoam cutter, but I do not have it. So I used a simple knife. It was really messy. But I manage it.

5. Voila, that was the hardest part!

The hardest part is done! You can always buy something like this in a store. But I didn’t. Because this is DIY Christmas wreath :)

6. Dressing up

I dressed-up this wreath-to-be in a dark green cloth decorated with gold stars, moons and other drawings… I glued the cloth to the styrofoam with a glue gun. Yes, that’s me gluing the cloth :)

7. Dressing-up – completed

And, here’s the result:

8. Wiring and decorating

Now, I cut some wire and simply clasped it around the wreath-to-be. The upper part was twisted in a spiral so that we can insert the images. I didn’t have thicker wire. If I had a thicker wire I’d just pin it in the styrofoam. Also, I prepared pine cones and sprayed them with gold color.

9. Pine cones

Finally I glued the pine cones with a glue gun.

10. Inserting the photos

OK. That’s it. Now is time for printed images! Cut them, and glue them over the spiral wire. If you just attach them into spiral, they will fall off.

11. The final touch

I felt this wreath was missing something, so I added red and gold ribbons all around it.

12. OK. One more final touch

I added some bows around wires too!

13. And … voila!

Finito! bsilvia Christmas Wreath (2011/2012 edition) is ready! :))

I hope you will like it and maybe even try to do it yourself.  Should you have any questions, let me know I will be more than happy to help.

Here is what Mr. SpaceCat thought of it:

Mr. Alphons was not impressed either

But, the old queen, Poofah, she wanted to eat the pine cones ?!?!?

Love you all, have fun and may the peace be with you.
Silvia

Commercial:
CYBER WEEK SALE! GET 1600+ High-Quality Photoshop brushes for peanuts. This week only.

Creating Pattern Brush in Adobe Illustrator is much more simple than you might think and this is what we will be talking about in this blog post (which also includes Free Download, of course)  :)

Now, I made a video tutorial on this This is a short video tutorial on making pattern brushes in Adobe Illustrator (CS3).

These brushes can be used to create, for instance, frames, especially square and rectangle frames. They are free, even for your commercial projects but it would be great, awesome and very, very nice of you if you backlink to my blog (let alone the purchase from my shop) :)

Resizing:

In Pattern Brush Option Size go to  Scale:  (from 1% to 100%).

Coloring:

Coloring is not difficult too.  In Pattern Brush Option -> Colorization chose Method: Tint.

Tomorrow I will make a video on re-sizing and coloring pattern brushes in Adobe Illustrator.

[ Download Damask Pattern brushes (6) for Adobe Illustrator CS3 ]

In this short video tutorial I used:

Damask Vector Set (22)

Set is delivered in following formats:

1. .ai (all CS versions from 8.0)
2. .eps format
3. .cdr (Corel 8.0 up to newer versions)
4. .png (so you can easily use them in any photo editing software)
5. .svg (SVG, or scalable vector graphics files can be read and modified by a large range of tools)

Commercial license included!

[ Preview Damask Vector Set ] [ BUY ]

Have a nice day,
Silvia

This post is going to be somehow different. It will be about our heart (not just heart graphic), positive energy vibration and quantum physics. It is, basically, something I wrote into my diary, but then I decided to share it with you:

…

Now it’s clear. It is the emotional vibration that makes things happen. It’s not the thoughts, although the thoughts can help to generate that emotional vibration.

Tesla also said that. Energy supersedes matter.

However, the real issue is – how to get into that emotional state of positive energy, love and happiness when the goin’ gets tough?

For instance, how cool would it be if we had a device which we could just plug in to get rid of  of any negative emotions and get into the positive mode, so that we start emanating good vibrations and, as a consequence, start creating positive events in our 3D world as well.

A device. Fast solution. Many reach for narcotics to get closer to that emotional state, but narcotics are not doing it. It’s obvious. They are not working.

So, the device which will initiate positive vibrations from our body/mind/soul/consciousness/subconsciousness and put us in a mood of bliss.

Now, I am not talking about the device which will take energy from somewhere else and put it into us. We have the “ingredients for happiness” within ourselves already. I believe that it’s, probably, layers of energetic “dirt” what prevents this original, positive energy from coming out of us in difficult times.

So, as I said, the “ingredients” are already here, within us. It’s only a matter of putting them to work. This is what this device should do. It should pick up what’s already sitting there and put it to work.

OK. So, the idea for the device is here. I know what should it do and someone should jump in and actually make it :)

In the meantime, I will do what I do, here is another print ready card which you can use for multiple purposes, or you could just download it and explore the layers to see how it’s done.

[Download Heart Design Layered PSD File] – zipped 12.3Mb, 8×8 inches @300 dpi – print ready!

Love you all, guys. And until someone comes up with a machine like that I guess will just have to rely on our own capacity to keep our spirits up no matter what.

xoxoxo

Silvia

I used today’s free graphic to frame a photo of Mr. Alphons. (image above)

Today, I prepared a little something for scrapbookers. A layered Photoshop (PSD) file which is a digital scrapbooking “Quick Page”. It is a Photo mask at the same time. It is all that and more :)

So, if there is any human being still doing something else apart from writing posts and comments on Facebook, I count on you. I hope you will be reading this, maybe liking this download and maybe you will use it to create a nice graphic using some of your photos with it.

Regarding Facebook. I admit. I spend too much time on Facebook. I sit there every day for hours and I am not sure if I like that. So, I decided to proclaim one day of the week a No-Facebook day! I mean Facebook is nice, but we need to be careful before becoming slaves to the habit (unless it is a habit of creating stuff :))

Ladies and gentleman, let me present you

Digital Scrapbooking QuickPage / Photo Background / Photo Mask –  layered Photoshop PSD file

(zipped, 6.5Mb, 8×8 inches @300dpi – print ready)

This image was created with free Photoshop brushes: Dotted Arrows available for all GBG Members!

Now, this is one short post.

I hope you are enjoying your Thursday, just bear with it cause Friday is already knocking on the door!

Enjoy!

xoxox

Silvia