Free plug to my Brother’s site. The flash header doesn’t seem to work in I.E. Vista but we’re changing it soon!

  asides

  Brother, Joe

I decided I wanted some randomly placed scattered stars for a project this evening, and I had this idea as an alternate to making a symbol and spraying it, that I’d create a scatter brush. I felt there was more control using a scatter brush as opposed to symbols. Here is what I did, so you can replicate it if you wish…This is the image I started with:

1. Open up illustrator and choose any colour you like, select the star shape tool and draw an assortment of stars in all shapes, sizes and angles. (As above)

2. With all the shapes selected go to the brush toolbar palette, and using the small arrow to the right, click ‘new brush.’

3. Select ‘SCATTER BRUSH.’

4. Now play with the settings, I usually choose ‘random’ for all the boxes and make the brush size a little smaller. I made my stroke and applied the brush, then played with the settings, ensuring the preview button was selected, so I could see what was going on.

*Tip* By double clicking on the brush in the toolbar palette you are able to change settings for each individual brush stroke, as and when you feel like it.

*Tip* Selecting HUE SHIFT will allow you to be able to change your brushes’ color.

The End Result: I am going to replace the large star with an image.

*Tip* Select some of the brush strokes and right click, select arrange –> bring forward. This creates a layer effect.

Finally, if you create a small circle and plucker / bloat it you can create a selection of shimmering stars, by turning down the size and spacing down, leaving it to fixed you get a lovely little shimmery trail when you draw with the brush!

  Illustrator

  Illustrator, Scatter, Star, Symbol, tutorial

Quick and easy balloon shape in Illustrator.

1. Open a new document and with the ellipse shape tool draw a balloon shape oval:

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  Illustrator

  Illustrator, tutorial

I’ve officially cancelled christmas, well my family has really.  My Dad is in hospital, very ill.  We bought him an mp3 player for the big day, but seeing as he’s not going to be here to join us, we are not celebrating until he comes home.  There’s a chance he might not even make it home, but I’m just not thinking about that at the moment, got to focus on the positive I guess.

So, I have opened his mp3 player, charged it, ripped all his CDs and added the mp3 files to it.  Then later, I’ll re-box it and wrap it up to take into the hospital tomorrow.

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  A Little Rant

  christmas, Dad, Whistle

When I was really very small
Around the time when Santa would call
I believed the world had to be good all day
Otherwise what would Santa say?
No drugs, robberies, or naughty folk
I thought everyone was on best behaviour, no joke!
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  All About Me

  Carly, christmas

I found this today. It’s a fab way of creating realistic torn paper in photoshop. Check it out.

  asides

  link, photoshop, tutorial

It is my last ever shift at work tonight!  Ooohh!

  asides

  work

Typing the title reminded me of the Scrubs musical episode in series 6, where they all reassure the patient she’ll be fine. The song always sticks in my head annoyingly!

So I quit my job, and today is the last day there. I’ve worked there for over two years and I am actually quite sad. Not enough to cry or anything… Feels like the end of an era really. Read The Rest of This Post? »

  All About Me

  christmas, job, work

I have to get ready and go to work now… grrr… I hate work so much…

  asides

This list contains some of the most annoying habits that can be found on many web sites on the internet. Is your blog guilty of any of these? If so you could be driving away your visitors, read on for annoying traits and some simple solutions:

1. Underlining things that aren’t links.

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  List

  font, New, photos, stock, text, textures, traits, underlining

I just microwaved my cold cup of tea.  Eugh! No milk left + desperation!

  asides

  tea

If you are sat here looking at the site thinking, wow why would she change some colours but leave the icons looking bad, you may need to press Ctrl + F5 to reload the page.

I love the colour scheme a lot more, I used the following scheme on colour lovers initially:

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  Updates

  Colour, New, Style

I forgot to add the link to my Paint Shop Pro brush site.  Well for now it’s here.

  asides

  link, psp, twisted

Hmm…One half of me wants to change the colours of this theme, there is not enough contrast and I want something that stands out more. The other half is feeling too lazy, wants to lie in bed and just watch stupid stuff like Scrubs or Ugly Betty.

I guess it all boils down to my mood. I was feeling happy a week ago - cleaned my room, did all my washing, etc, now I just don’t know what to do with myself. I don’t want to do anything, and I feel very miserable. I got really upset at work yesterday and left early because I’d been away for a month and a new member of staff was making me feel like I didn’t know anything, and was being very pedantic about the meals I was cooking - taking the piss really. I feel that on the one hand I am strong, I know what I want and I always get it, but then really, on the other hand I just can’t be bothered and let people get away with making me feel like shit. (Wow, there’s a lot of swearing here today…) Read The Rest of This Post? »

  A Little Rant

  Colour, Site

This is the first post in my aside category… oooh! Wonderful eh? Nowt to put here really! Filling some space!

  asides

I uploaded this theme and realised I’ve not done the footer. How embarrasing! That’s like going out with no underwear on really!

Please bare with me whilst I iron the last few kinks out and if you break anything, please let me know!

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  Twisted Barfly

  Twisted Barfly, Update