{"id":2605,"date":"2023-02-07T11:22:46","date_gmt":"2023-02-07T16:22:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.yourscrappingcafe.com\/home\/d19521157\/public_blog\/?p=2605"},"modified":"2025-09-13T10:48:50","modified_gmt":"2025-09-13T14:48:50","slug":"enhancing-your-stash","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yourscrappingcafe.com\/home\/d19521157\/public_blog\/enhancing-your-stash\/","title":{"rendered":"Enhancing Your Stash"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

So, in last week’s post I talked about enhancing your stash.  I know how frustrating it can be when you’re working on a project and you just can’t seem to find the right color pallet in your existing supplies.  But you don’t always have to go out and buy more product.  Especially if money is tight.  Instead, just get creative about using what you already have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the things I love about digital scrapbooking is the ability to use items I\u2019ve purchased over and over again.  Not only can I use one flower multiple times, I also can re-color it if it doesn\u2019t fit my current project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step #5: Re-Coloring Elements<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Before I get too far along, I want to point out that my experience in re-coloring is based on how I use Photoshop Elements (PSE). If you don\u2019t use PSE, I have some degree of confidence that you can find a way to accomplish the same things in whatever graphics package you are using. You can always try searching for re-coloring techniques (specific to your software) on the internet. If you run into a lot of trouble, please just \u201cMessage Me<\/a><\/strong>\u201d and I\u2019ll do what I can to help you out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Re-color Flat (Non-Dimensional) Elements<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019ve ever wondered how to colorize a simple\/flat shape (not good for dimensional elements like bows, flowers, etc.) this is the tip for you!  It\u2019s a fairly simple process. If you have already \u201cFollowed Me<\/a><\/strong>\u201d then you should have the free page template I provided.  I\u2019m going to take one of those elements and show you how to quickly re-color it\u2026again using PSE.   If you have the template & use PSE you can follow along.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m using just the Doodle Edge element for this example.  I\u2019ve hidden all the other layers (except the base) to make it easier for us to concentrate on just that doodle.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Doodle<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

First, I need to change the foreground color so that it\u2019s the color I\u2019d like that edge to be.  So, I\u2019ll select the foreground color \u201cchip\u201d in the lower left corner.  A dialog box will pop up allowing me to pick the desired color.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Set<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Select a color.  I\u2019m using a nice aqua color (hex color value #0babbe) so it stands out nicely.  But you can use any color that you\u2019d like.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Pick<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Select \u201cOk\u201d. Now I\u2019m going to ensure that I have only the doodle edge layer selected.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Select<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Now I\u2019m going to select the Paint Bucket Tool and ensure that the \u201cAll Layers\u201d & \u201cContiguous\u201d check boxes are unchecked and that the \u201cAnti-aliasing\u201d check box IS checked.  Then I\u2019ll position my \u201cpointer\u201d anywhere in the black part of the edge and click in that spot.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Select<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I now have an aqua colored doodle edge.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Aqua<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

So easy right?  I know it looks like a lot of steps but I wanted to do it step-by-step so the instructions were clear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bonus\u2026there is a PSE short cut that makes it so much quicker.  With the desired foreground color selected, just press Shift+Alt+Backspace on your keyboard (since a Mac doesn\u2019t have a Backspace key, I\u2019m not sure what the shortcut would be) and voila\u2026color changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Re-color by \u201cClipping\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There is one other method for re-coloring flat shapes and even text.  And it\u2019s even easier than the steps outlined above.  You can actually \u201cclip\u201d paper to your flat image\u2026easy peasy.  That is, as long as you know how to do that.  Clipping allows you to re-color all parts of the object in question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re using PSE, simply add a paper layer above the element you want to re-color.  Then in the layers panel (with the paper layer selected) press and hold the alt-key (option-key on a Mac) and hover toward the bottom edge of the thumbnail.  You should see an icon that looks like a square with a downward facing arrow.  Then just click.  Now your element is the color of whatever paper you used. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, I\u2019m going to use a \u201cwatercolor\u201d paper from my stash.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Fire<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I placed it over the edge and clipped it to that layer.  I\u2019ve zoomed in pretty far so you can see what it looked like\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Paper<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I could now also play with blend modes to get different looks.  But since the edge is black, there really won\u2019t be much that will change.  And I\u2019ll talk about blending in more detail further down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just bear in mind, this typically is only recommended for non-dimensional elements.  If you try to clip paper to a flower, you\u2019ll lose all of the flower\u2019s detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, this is as easy as re-coloring can be.  But only if we\u2019re talking about non-dimensional, single-color elements.  If you want to re-color other things it\u2019s not quite that easy.  If you\u2019re game\u2026read on!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Re-color Dimensional Elements Using Hue\/Saturation<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

So, now I\u2019m going to talk about re-coloring something that is a bit more challenging.  Dimensional things like flowers or buttons.  These kinds of elements have depth and most often more than one color.  Because of that I can\u2019t just use the \u201cPaint Bucket\u201d method.  But that doesn\u2019t mean I can\u2019t re-color them fairly easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are multiple ways to do this.  One of the easiest ways is to use the \u201ccolorize\u201d feature in PSE.  This time I\u2019m only going to give you a few pictures to try and keep this post from getting ridiculously long.  But it should be pretty easy to follow with the steps I\u2019m going to give you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m going to use this flower from \u201cReal Moments \u2013 Metamorphosis\u201d (now retired):<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Pink<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
    \n
  1. Select the flower layer.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Set the foreground color so that it\u2019s the color I want to use (see the steps above).  I\u2019m going to use a nice shade of purple (#8514d4)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Select \u201cEnhance\u201d in the top tool bar.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Then select Adjust Color<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Then select Adjust Hue\/Saturation<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    The Hue\/Saturation dialog box will pop up.  At this point I\u2019m just going to check the \u201cColorize\u201d box in the lower right corner of that dialog box & click OK.  And this is what I got\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n

    \n
    \"Purple<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

    Nice but I\u2019ve lost that greenish-yellow center.  There are ways to, as my granddaughter says, \u201ctrick the computer\u201d so we can keep that yellow center. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    One way is this.  Before colorizing the flower, I\u2019m going to duplicate the layer and colorize only the top flower.  Then I can go in and \u201cmask\u201d or erase the center portion of the purple flower so that the greenish-yellow portion from the pink flower layer shows through.  So, I end up with this\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n

    \n
    \"Yellow<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

    That might be a bit more work than what you\u2019d like but it definitely gives you more control over what happens with the flower\u2019s center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Another way to re-color that pink flower would be: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    1. Select the flower layer.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Select \u201cEnhance\u201d in the top tool bar.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. Then select Adjust Color<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    4. Then select Adjust Hue\/Saturation<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      That same Hue\/Saturation dialog box pops up.  At this point I can just play around with the Hue, Saturation & Lightness \u201csliders\u201d until I come up with something suitable.  Using this method, it doesn\u2019t matter to what color the foreground color is set.  I\u2019ll control the color with the Hue slider.  I changed my settings as follows: Hue= 0, Saturation= +39 & Lightness= 0.  This is what I got\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n

      \n
      \"Yellow<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

      It too is nice but I wasn\u2019t able to get the shade of orange I was hoping for without messing up the contrast.  At least the center stayed that nice greenish-yellow color.  I like this flower so I\u2019m going to save it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      There are more ways to play with Hue\/Saturation to achieve better results but I think that might be a bit much for this post.  If you\u2019d like more tips on adjusting Hue\/Saturation I\u2019d encourage you to search for more in-depth tutorials on the internet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Re-color Dimensional Elements Using Replace Color<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      Next, I\u2019m going to use the same pink flower that I used above.  But this time I\u2019m going to do things a bit differently.  Aside from having the flower open I\u2019ll also want to have either a piece of paper, or other element open that is the color I want for the flower.  I\u2019m going to be using a solid color paper from my stash\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n

      \n
      \"Basic<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

      Now I\u2019ll change the foreground color, this time I\u2019m going to use the Color Picker tool.  I\u2019ll click on the little eye-dropper in the tool bar along the left side.  Then just move the eye-dropper over to the paper and select the color that I want.  For this, it\u2019s just a solid color (#f57527) so it wasn\u2019t hard.  But what I need to do at this point is either \u201ccopy\u201d the color value (f57527) from the foreground chip or write the value down as I\u2019ll need it in the next step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Now, I\u2019ll go back to the flower layer.  But keep that paper \u201cwindow\u201d visible for a point of reference later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      1. With the flower layer selected.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      2. Zoom in on the flower so I can see a lot of the finer details<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      3. Select \u201cEnhance\u201d in the top tool bar.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      4. Then select Adjust Color<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      5. Then select Replace Color.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

        A Replace Color dialog box pops up.<\/p>\n\n\n

        \n
        \"Replace<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

        I\u2019ll leave the localized Color Clusters box unchecked.  This won\u2019t always be the case but I don\u2019t want to get things too complicated right now.  If you\u2019d like more information about replacing \u201cclusters\u201d of colors feel free to \u201cMessage Me\u201d or you can search for more tips about replacing colors on the internet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Then I need to ensure that the first \u201ceye dropper\u201d icon is selected.  This is how I\u2019ll pick the starting point of my re-coloring. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        For this flower I\u2019m going to set the Fizziness to 15.  This makes it easier to control what portions of the flower will be re-colored.  I\u2019m going to leave the Selection \u201cradio button\u201d on.  This lets me see (in the black square) what parts of the flower are being selected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        I\u2019m doing nothing with the Hue\/Saturation\/Lightness sliders right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        My pointer is in the shape of an eye dropper.  Now I can make my initial color selection from the flower.  I almost always tend to select a color in the mid-range\u2026not too dark and not too light.  So, I clicked on the medium pink near the flower\u2019s center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        At this point I can see that both color chips (Color & Result) in the dialog box are identical.  I need to change the value of the \u201cResult\u201d color to the color I selected from the paper.  So, I\u2019ll select the Result color chip and the now familiar color picker dialog box pops up.<\/p>\n\n\n

        \n
        \"Color<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

        See how the color \u2018s \u201chex\u201d value is already highlighted?  This is where I\u2019ll enter the color value I previously copied\/wrote down (f57527).  Then I\u2019ll click OK.  I don\u2019t see much of a change on the flower immediately (especially if I haven\u2019t zoomed in).  But I can see some little white specks show up in the \u201cSelection\u201d window (that black box).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        This may or may not be the right time to make any adjustments with the Saturation\/Lightness since I may not be able to see much of a change.  And I won\u2019t mess with the Hue\u2026that will change my replacement color dramatically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Next, I\u2019ll click on the \u201cEye Dropper+\u201d icon.  This is how I\u2019ll select other sections of the flower for re-coloring.  I\u2019ll just click around the flower until I see the color changing.  And again, the yellow center remains unchanged unless I click there as well.  This is how replacing differs from just \u201ccolorizing\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Once I\u2019ve selected all of the areas I want to change, I can then play around with the Saturation & Lightness \u201csliders\u201d (using my reference paper as a guide) until I come up with something that meets my liking.  Here\u2019s how mine turned out\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n

        \n
        \"Orange<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

        Using this method takes a lot of practice and fine-tuning.  Once you do it more than a few times, you\u2019ll start to get the hang of it.  Trust me it\u2019s almost always a matter of trial and error.  A lot depends on the element with which you\u2019re working.  Some are harder than others to re-color this way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        If you\u2019re not totally confused or overwhelmed, I\u2019ve got one more re-coloring option\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Re-color Dimensional Elements By Clipping & Blending<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

        There is one final option I\u2019m going to offer, though it\u2019s not one I use too often.  You can try clipping paper (solid or patterned) to the flower and changing the blend mode (as I mentioned up above on re-coloring that template edge). For example, I\u2019m again going to use that \u201cwatercolor\u201d paper from my stash and that original pink flower from above.<\/p>\n\n\n

        \n
        \"Fire<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

        I placed it over the flower and clipped it to that layer.  This is what it looked like without blending\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n

        \n
        \"Paper<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

        Now with the watercolor paper layer selected I\u2019m going to go over to the layers panel (the right side of the screen).  See the \u201cbox\u201d right above the layers where it says \u201cNormal\u201d?<\/p>\n\n\n

        \n
        \"Blend<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

        This is where we can change blend modes. This is where we can change blend modes.<\/p>\n\n\n

        \n
        \"All<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

        Once the \u201cBlend\u201d options are open all I have to do is use the down\/up-arrow keys on my keyboard to \u201cscroll\u201d through the different blends to see what the results are.  In doing that, I found that Pin Light & Hue gave the most interesting results.  Here\u2019s what I got using Pin Light:<\/p>\n\n\n

        \n
        \"Pin<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

        And this is what I got using Hue:<\/p>\n\n\n

        \n
        \"Hue<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

        Just bear in mind, this typically is only recommended for non-dimensional elements.  If you try this with elements like flowers, you won\u2019t necessarily lose all of the flower\u2019s detail but results can be fairly unpredictable.  Sometimes it works\u2026other times, not so much!  Regardless, I thought it was worth giving you this option and you can play with it if you like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Most Important Re-Coloring Tips!<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

        I would HIGHLY<\/em><\/strong> encourage you to do all your color changing outside of your actual layout.  Just open your element separately and play to your heart\u2019s content.  This keeps you from accidentally making changes to something more than the element you\u2019re trying to re-color.  Besides that, if you\u2019re really happy with the final product it will be easy to save your \u201cnew\u201d creation for future use.<\/p>\n\n\n

        \n
        \"Practice<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

        Don\u2019t be afraid to experiment with all of these techniques until you find the one that works best for you.  If you\u2019re not happy with the result the first time\u2026there\u2019s always the \u201cundo button\u201d!<\/p>\n\n\n

        \n
        \"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

        The more you play around the better you\u2019ll get at re-coloring!  And if you get hopelessly lost or frustrated you can always \u201cMessage Me<\/a><\/strong>\u201d and I\u2019ll try to help!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        If you like what you\u2019ve read and want to see what other re-coloring tips I have in store for you next week, be sure to click the \u201cFollow Me<\/a><\/strong>\u201d button. That way you\u2019ll easily stay updated for Step #6\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n

        \n
        \"Stay<\/figure>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        So, in last week’s post I talked about enhancing your stash.  I know how frustrating it can be when you’re working on a project and you just can’t seem to find the right color pallet in your existing supplies.  But you don’t always have to go out and buy more product.  Especially if money is tight.  Instead, just get creative about using what you already have. One of the things I love about digital scrapbooking is the ability to use…<\/p>\n

        Read More Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2665,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_wp_convertkit_post_meta":{"form":"0","landing_page":"","tag":"0","restrict_content":"0"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2605","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tuesday-tip-day"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t