Shadow Scrap's freebie, and PSE6

Since my friend, Jamie, just started her blog, she wanted to put her first freebie up, and I thought I would mention it here on mine, since her blog is new. Feel free to go download it here, if you want it...and leave some love on her blog if you can!

My PSP XI crashed one two many times this week, so I went around looking to see what people were saying about psp 12, and also looking into pse6. I watched some video's about pse6, and read a few threads on forums about it, as well as psp12, and broke down and tried pse out. I found out that the new version of 12, doesn't do the ONE thing that has stopped me even wanting to consider switching...which is allowing me to drag directly from the organizer, to my page that I'm working on, without that extra step in there, of taking the paper or element to the desktop with the layout, and then sliding it over onto the layout. I know that its not all THAT much more work, to do it that way, but taking it from the organizer, directly into the layout is so much faster it seems, and since that's what I have been used to, from the start, I haven't wanted to give that up. However when I found out, that psp 12 took that away, the decision wasn't as hard to make.

I have a month to figure out if I like pse well enough to buy it or not...if I like it, maybe I will ask for that for my birthday in May, if I can get enough money together for it...ok, not ask, just tell DH what I'm buying for myself! *giggle* Anyway I've played with it a little, and there ARE some things I'm not sure that I like as well as psp. (I do LOVE that it hasn't crashed on me yet though! LOL)

If anyone knows if the following things exist, or can be used as described, PLEASE let me know, either by leaving a comment, or e-mailing me!

Air brush - I didn't use it all that much in psp, however once in a while I did...and I wanted it tonight, but psp crashed on me, so I didn't bother going back into it, and tried to find it in pse. I couldn't find it, and I even did a search in help for it, and it couldn't find it.

Warp Brush - I LOVE this in psp!! I found Liquify in pse, which will work just as well, except for one BIG problem. In PSP I can do the same thing, but it leaves the element I'm "warping" in the layout, and I just work with it there, which is a must, if you are....say....working with a ribbon that you want to warp around another element on the page. So, I need to figure out how to use liquify with the other elements showing too....if that's possible

In psp if I'm playing with things on a page, and group several things together, and decide I want to save just the things I have grouped, I can go to the layer pallet, and pull that "group" off onto the desktop, and then save it in the grouping, either with the layers or in a png, for a "groupie". I tried pulling an element from the layer pallet to the desktop, (just one element) and it wouldn't work, then I tried pulling that element from the layout to the desktop....still wouldn't work....I couldn't even copy the element, as I couldn't find out how to. I probably was just doing things wrong, but that's the third thing I have found so far, that I need to figure out, cause I use that feature in psp quite often.

Last but not least are the dropshadows. I've gotten so used to the dropshadows in psp and like that I can go in and do a dropshadow several times. Like one time I'll do a really tiny one going one direction, then I'll go back and do it a little bigger the opposite direction so it gives definition around the whole elements...then if I want it to look like its off the page more, I'll go back a third time, using more blur. With pse, I think "layer styles" is the only way to do a dropshadow, and I think you can only do one. I need to figure out if there is any way to have more than one on an object....and which setting is for blur. LOL I do like the idea that you can go back and change the layer styles, later on, in case you want a bigger dropshadow...or smaller one. That's a really cool feature that psp XI doesn't have...although I heard that 12 does have layer styles now. However dropshadows are something I use all the time and are also something I'm kinda picky about for myself....not that I think mine are the BEST, but I'm not sure if I will like them in pse as well...I thought they looked a little more fake, although I do need to play with them a little more.

Those are just the 4 things I've found so far that I really would like to figure out. There could be more, but I went through psp trying to think of the things I would hate to live without, and those four things are the only things I couldn't find (so far)...since the drag from the organizer to the layout option isn't available in psp12, I'm not including that "must have" feature in my list.

I'm suppose to be finishing up my kit, but got slowed down, with psp crashing, and trying to figure out pse. I may have to go back to pspX tomorrow, just so I can try to finish a few things up, or this kit won't ever get done! LOL Then maybe I'll take a break, to try to figure out if I can live with pse, in the next month, before I even think of trying to start a new one. I would rather learn it by doing layouts, than trying to actually make something for a kit, least at first.

I have yet to try and see if I can make text go around a shape yet, I don't do that lots, but do like the option. Can't think of anything else yet, that I need to try...but I'm sure there will be something. I did check out the gradient tool....I like it lots better, its much easier to make your own gradient in pse, than it was in psp. Least to me it is. I also like the quick selection tool....I haven't used it much, just played with it a little, but it looks like it will be wonderful for extractions!! I will have to play more with it, and see if it will work, like I'm hoping. I also like how the crop tool works, how you can turn the crop box at an angle...I think I read that you could do that in psp12...but I know you can't do it in XI or before.

Anyway, I better stop rambling and get to bed. I told DH I would rather not milk in the morning, since the kids are still on the Mom's, we can take a break one day a week...and my wrists need it, cause they are starting to be achy. But its getting late, so even though I don't have to get up as early, I really should get some sleep! LOL I do have to say though, that I have really enjoyed having the milk (we have gotten just almost a quart each day this week)and I've had some on some cereal, and it hasn't bothered me. Our cereal is almost gone, so now we will start saving the milk, till we get enough to try making some cheese!! That should be fun! LOL

Have a great weekend!! Thanks for your comments, both here and in my e-mail!