I have been scrapbooking for about 8 years and have just become obsessed with digital scrapbooking I am using PSE3. I have downloaded a few kits and I have opened the paper and been able to add text and photo's but I dont know how to use the embelishments. I can open them in PSE but it doesnt let me add it to me page. What am I doing wrong? When there is more than one embelishment on a page how do you seperate them to use just one or two of the things? Please Help I'm starting to get frustrated!

Hey! Make sure before you add any elements that you create a new layer on your page (The button looks like a little page with the corner folded down) and that the new layer is selected. Then just select your element (draw a marquee around it) ctrl-c, then toggle back to your layers, and ctrl-v. always add a new layer for each thing, then you can move and resize at will.

Yes, does what Meg wrote help you? The key is knowing how to copy and paste from one document to another. Sometimes several elements are saved on one layer with a transparent background. Alpha characters come like this most of the time here. You must use your "marquee" tool to draw a selection around the item you want to use (marquee looks like a little box with dotted lines around it on your toolbox, click it, then hold down your mouse and drag a "box" around the item you want).
Next, use the "move" tool, it is right next to the marquee tool (or like Meg said, you can hit the "V" key on your keyboard to get the move tool)...once you have it, click and hold down your mouse while you drag that item you "selected" over onto your layout. Then just drop it... this should automatically add it as a new layer, too.

Or after you have "selected" the item you want you could go EDIT>COPY
Then go to your Layout and go EDIT>PASTE
Just another option.

Please let us know if you are still stuck....we want to be of help!!

Yazo

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Sheryl ~ Arcola, Texas
Please visit my gallery!

Thanks so much! That worked! I'm so excited! One more question.......Can you change the color of an embelishment such as a tag or bookplate? If so how? Thanks again for you help! I was opening it as a new layer but I was not putting the little box around it and then moving it onto the page! Thanks again!

How to change color of a tag or element???

Yes I think you can, but I'm not sure about this one. I'm sure someone else will answer that question soon, if not post again.

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Sheryl ~ Arcola, Texas
Please visit my gallery!

I have PS (but from what I understand most of the commands are the same)

To change the color of an element, open the element. Go to Image -> Adjustments -> Hue/Saturation This will open a box. Make sure the Preview box is checked, and check the box next to colorize. Then use the sliders to change the hue, saturation, and lightness of the element. Once you are satisfied, click ok. If you want to save the new colored element make sure to SAVE AS and change the name so that you don't lose the original

HTH

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Hey, welcome to digi scrapping! PSE is a great program, and can do a lot if you get a lot of downloaded presets like layer styles, patterns, and brushes after you learn how to use the program a little.

Beware the photo bin, it shows all the open images, but people mistake it for the layers palette when they're starting out. Go to Window>Maximize Mode and UNcheck it to see all your open images on the work area. That makes it easier to drag and drop things around.

There are so many ways to change colors of things, it really depends on the item and what colors you want to change. Hue/Sat is the one I use most, though.

Digi scrapping and PSE rock, you'll love 'em!

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Emma the Pal
GALLERY Web Page

Thank you so much for all your help! I will try to do it this way. It is getting better thanks to all of you helping me. I'm sure something else will come up! Many Thanks!
Kristina