Adventure with Photoshop

CoffeeShop "Action Merge Magic" Photoshop/PSE Action!

Happy Halloween!!! Today I have a really practical action to share with you. How many times have you ran one of my actions on your image and found the enhancement to be too dramatic? Well, I have written a new action to solve this problem!

After you run any of my CoffeeShop actions on your image, run this "Action Merge Magic" action. It will merge all of the edited layers into one layer while retaining the original image on the bottom. Then you can simply adjust the opacity of the enhancement to taste! Or you can paint on the layer mask to selectively remove part of the enhancement.

It might sound confusing, so let me show you with screenshots. :-)

I used this original dog, male on road, and girl image in today's tutorial.

This is the original image.

I ran my "Cashmere Rose" action on the image and adjusted the layers to taste. This is nice, but I would prefer to have a more subtle edit.

So I ran today's new action "Action Merge Magic" on the image. It merged all of the layers into one layer with a layer mask while retaining the original unedited image on the Background. Then I dialed down the opacity of the "Edited Image" layer to 65%. I think this is the perfect amount of Cashmere Rose for this image. :-)

Here is another example.

Here is the original image.

I ran the CoffeeShop "Moody Pop" action.

Then I ran "Action Merge Magic" and turned down the "Edited Image" layer to 70% and also used a soft low opacity black brush on the layer mask to add some light to the center of the image.

If a layer is not turned on, it will not flatten and you will see it above the "Edited Image" layer. Just ignore it. :-)

Download the CoffeeShop "Action Merge Magic" 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.

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CoffeeShop "Moody Monday" Photoshop/PSE Action!

Actions Pixabay Tutorial-Photoshop and PSE

Today I have a brand new beautiful fine art action called "Moody Monday". This fully-adjustable action has an optional Matte-Effect layer and looks amazing on many types of images including portraits, landscapes and still-life.

A special thanks for the stock images from Pixabay used in my examples (bride, flowers, portrait, posing lady).

CoffeeShop "Moody Monday" Photoshop/PSE Action Tutorial:

(original image)

This is the image with no adjustments.

I marked the layers adjusted with red. I used a black soft brush to remove the "Darken" layer off the woman and then turned down "Darken Shadows" and "Brighten Whites" to 50% opacity.

This type of enhancement can look really stunning on fall and winter portraits.

Download the CoffeeShop "Moody Monday" Photoshop/PSE Action. You can also download it here or grab it in my convenient download pack.

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.

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{CoffeeShop Family Flying Circus Adventures} Chapter 7: "Lake Livingston and Scooters!"

{CoffeeShop Family Flying Circus} {Friday Photo Bliss} Idle Chatter

My husband Paul's day job is optometry, but he is also a private pilot and his passion is flying. About six months ago we purchased a 1973 Piper 4-seater plane he nicknamed "The Gooney Bird". Our life changed and became filled with EXCITEMENT and ADVENTURE and sometimes TERROR!!! All things that are fun to blog about here on The CoffeeShop Blog.

Interested to read more of the {CoffeeShop Family Flying Circus Adventures}? Prologue, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Entire series (newest posts first)

A special thanks to my husband Paul who flies the plane and edits all our videos. Please subscribe to his Texas Gooney Bird YouTube channel if you are interested in following our adventures. It would make his day!

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Paul got home from work late Saturday afternoon last week and we decided to bring the Gooney out to Lake Livingston. This is just a short thirty minute scenic flight, perfect for last minute adventures.

Our first amazing view was Lake Conroe and the Woodlands.

Paul was in his element and couldn't stop smiling at me.

Keep your eyes on the road, I mean the air!

Imp took his traditional nap. I documented it this time since he always claims he never sleeps and simply "rests" his eyes.

He rested his eyes (and mouth) for twenty minutes on this trip.

Lake Livingston in all its glory.

The airport is about a mile from the lake. Next time we hope to get there earlier and walk (scooter?) to the water.

Funny story. I was video taping our landing and thought the Allan B. Polunsky prison was the airport... What crazy person builds a prison right next to a tiny unprotected airport?

I really want to visit that island in the photo above. As long as it is not filled with escaped prisoners...

The boys brought their scooters and were zipping all over the tiny airport.

Meanwhile, I was looking for the bathroom, which I found out did not exist.

Desperate times, desperate measures...

There was an adorable little dachshund airport-security dog that followed us everywhere. I wanted to take him home, he was so cute!!!

Thank goodness he was there doing his job of protecting us from escaped convicts.

The sun was going down fast so we packed up the plane with the boys and their scooters and started for home.

I love this view.

On our trip back Duke took the wheel (oops, I mean yoke) and Paul made sure to let me know.

Thanks Paul.

Duke did a great job and I didn't need my life vest after all.

When we arrived home the boys and I enjoyed watching the ducks on the small airport lake while Paul filled up the Gooney's tanks.

Then boys scootered back to the hanger and I enjoyed the walk and the sunset.

Time to put up the Gooney and head on home.

Life doesn't get much better than spending a beautiful day with the family. :-)

Have a great weekend!!!

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.

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CoffeeShop "Facebook Cover Set #29"!

Autumn/Halloween/Thanksgiving Digital Design and Scrapbooking Freebies Facebook Facebook Covers and Website Headers Jill Wellington

Today I have a new layered Facebook cover that is completely customizable. It comes with three different background options (distressed, damask, solid color) and the photo frames and logo ribbon colors can be changed.

You can also move the photo frames around if needed or add your own digital paper or texture to the background.

The cover is a psd file so you can add your images using clipping masks (tutorial and free action).

I want to thank Jill Wellington (Etsy Shop, Facebook, Blog, YouTube Videos, Pixabay) for allowing me to use her images in the examples above.

Download the CoffeeShop "Facebook Cover Set #29". 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.

More from Rita:
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"Give Thanks Vintage" Digital Paper Pack!

Autumn/Halloween/Thanksgiving Digital Design and Scrapbooking Freebies Holiday Textures and Digital Paper

Today I have a brand new Autumn-inspired digital paper pack! This pack has five high-resolution papers you can use any way you want in your own designs.

Check out all my Autumn-inspired designs.

Download the CoffeeShop "Give Thanks Vintage" digital 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.

More from Rita:
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{Friday Photo Bliss}: Ripstik and Snakes

{Friday Photo Bliss} Idle Chatter

Imp saved up for a Ripstik. Both the boys spent hours learning how to use it.

Did I mention the only time my husband broke a bone was when he was skateboarding as a kid? I broke mine riding a horse. We are such an active/clumsy couple.

Skating at the airport is fun!

Yes, he did roll under the wings of this trainer.

I would have had a picture of it but I was distracted as I ran toward him yelling at the top of my lungs to get away from the plane.

I told him it was ok for him to skate around our plane, as long as he stayed away from the prop.

I tried to ride his Ripstik and almost killed myself. Paul, my husband, tried to ride it and within 5 minutes was zooming around the driveway.

Sigh. I am the reject of the family...

So in revenge I made everyone go on a 8-mile bike ride with me.

I can stay up on these big wheels. Usually.

We finally had some rain this week and it feels like Autumn!

This morning was cool and sunny so we put off school and went to the park for a three-mile hike through the forest.

Luke asked me if I was worried about snakes and I said not really, they are always around so just be careful.

100 feet from this tree we found a buttermilk racer checking us out next to the path.

But the buttermilk racer was not poisonous so I just appreciated God's creature and we carried on with our hike.

Then a few minutes later Duke reached down to grab a stick and noticed a huge worm by the stick. The huge worm turned out to be a small copperhead snake. Copperheads are poisonous...

And Imp, Piper, and I had walked right by it without a glance.

I have to confess I became a bit concerned about our safety and the rest of the way we all carefully watched where we were walking. God's creature or not, I am not a fan of snakebites.

The morning hike through the forest was perfect, other than the snakes.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

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.

More from Rita:
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CoffeeShop Photographer 20x20 Storyboard Set #14!

Digital Design and Scrapbooking Freebies photographer templates Storyboards and Frames Unsplash

Today I have a new set of 20x20 professional photographer storyboards. These are adjustable (with optional borders) and can be printed or resized for the web. They are layered .psd file so you can add your images using the clipping masks (tutorial and free action).

The beautiful images I used in my examples above were all from Unsplash. (Kiss, Sunset, Camo)

You can use these commercially, no attribution necessary. :-)

Download the CoffeeShop "Photographer Storyboard 20x20 Set #14". You can also download them here.