Chez Larsson

The 365 Project

I still, a year later, get so many questions on how I added the dates on my photos 2010 (above) so I thought I’d pass on the link to those cool date overlays once more now that a new year has begun and I’ve understood that quite a few of you are going to do the 365 project this year.

The dates are digital overlays that you layer over your photos using Photoshop (Photoshop Elements is good enough). I’m not going to explain the whole process (to be honest I can hardly remember all the steps and shortcuts) but you can get Ali Edwards’ overlays from Designer Digitals here. Instructions on how to use digital overlays in PS elements can be found here. The instructions are for how to use digital overlays in general and not these 365 ones in particular but it will give you a general idea if you’ve never used overlays before. I hadn’t when I embarked on the project two years ago and it does take a bit of figuring out (I used Photoshop)but once you get going you have a whole year to perfect it :). Also try googeling if you run into any trouble along the way. I did that a lot in the beginning and there is a wealth of information out there if you ask Mr. Google nicely.

 

The 365 project is actually more of a 366 project this year with 2012 being a leap year and since I like to try new things I’m using a different method to add the dates to my photos this time around. My photos will simply have a thin frame around them with the dates printed under the photo to the right.

To achieve this look I use Photoscape, a free photo editing software (sorry Mac users it’s for PC only) and tweak one of their existing frames (I use Slidemount 2) and add the date at the bottom with the T (text) tool. Easy peasy.

I got the idea from Weronica who used some similar frames a few months back and she was actually also the one who introduced me to the Designer Digital overlays over two years ago. Thank you, Weronica!

So there you have it. Now only 365 days more to go.

365 Days in Print

As several of you suggested, and which was my plan from the get go, I had my 365 Days project printed as a book via Blurb.

 

Decided on a super simple layout with a week per spread and just the number of the week printed. There’s no journaling as I knew that it wouldn’t get done if I were to add that. I speak of experience as I started on a New York City book after the first trip Wille and I took two and a half years ago and it’s still not done. With this one I kept it simple and ordered it on January 1st.

I’m not super happy with the quality of all the photos. The cover turned out great (although I’m a little annoyed that I wasn’t able to move the title more to the right) and the paper (I chose premium paper) is really nice but the darker shots turned out very dark in print, Bonus is barely visible in a couple of them. Don’t know whether it’s my screen showing the images in a better light than they actually are but the darker months look a bit dreary in parts. The summer shots turned out nice though. I guess that’s what you get from living in darkness more than half the year.

Any way, I’m happy I did it and I’ll pop it in the book case for the future.

You can check out the whole book here if you want to or simply look back at the 365 posts here.

365 Day 357-365 The Final!

Sitting here December 30 with a glass of wine preparing tomorrow’s post and am celebrating the fact that I did it! I’ve taken (at least) a photo a day for an entire year. Yay! I’ll be adding the December 31 photo tomorrow morning (read today) to make the year complete! This post may reach you a little later than usual because of that.

 

Christmas Eve, the day we celebrate Christmas over here. I’ve mentioned before that Mini and Bonus haven’t paid much interest in the tree but Bonus couldn’t resist one single little Christmas dangle.

 

The oranges are more for juggling these days than for drinking but I always tell Wille that he’ll be eating or drinking any he drops :).

 

A gift from my (soon ex) sister in law, organic peppermint tea from Daylesford Organic. I’m bringing this to work as I never drink anything but Earl Grey at home but enjoy the occasional other tea in the office.

 

Mini. Beauty. I can’t recall how many times I’ve said that during this project but she is. Mini in size and the most beautiful girl.

 

One of those oh-no-I’ve-forgotten-to-take-a-photo-today shots. I was drinking wine after dinner with my friend Sanna in the evening and jumped up, shot this and then plonked down in the armchair again,

 

The quilt project is progressing. All the little squares have been cut and it’s now a matter of assembling them into a large rectangle.

 

I’m slowly removing Christmas. The pine cones are on their way down into the basement storage and so is the fake greenery around the lampshade. There are a zillion pine needles under the tree no matter how much or often I sweep so the tree is getting tossed on New Year’s Day if I have my say.

 

7.12 am. Yes!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! The very best wishes to all of you for 2011 from Wille, Mini, Bonus and me!

2011?

Almost there! Just one more day to go and then my 365 Day project is complete! Can you believe that I actually did it? I almost can’t and while it’s going to be great not to have to pick the camera up Every. Single. Day. I’m also going to miss it a little bit.

I know that some of you have enjoyed these posts and I’m sure that some of you probably haven’t but either way I’m now trying to think of what to replace them with on Fridays. I do have a few ideas but I’d love to hear your ideas! What would you like to see here on Chez Larsson that finishes off the weeks of 2011? Tell me!

365 Day 351-355

Don’t worry, it’s not Friday already! It’s just that we celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve and I got a bit pressed for time and am posting my 365 post today instead of tomorrow.

 

After Wille and I got the tree it rested in the garage over night so we wouldn’t freak it out completely by changing it’s temperature with 30 degrees in one fell swoop. Mini of course checked it out to make sure we got the correct variety.

 

I think Mini is a reincarnated traveller. If there is a bag of any kind laying about she will sit on it. I swear I have to double check my luggage before leaving the house on a trip or I will one day find myself with a feline friend at the airport.

 

The tree.

 

Happy Birthday to me! Wille was away with friends and I got the quiet evening with a glass of wine and a movie that I’d been hoping for after a few weeks of complete madness. I saw Sex and the City. No, not no 2, the first one. I have to say I don’t get it. I haven’t seen the TV series but the whole things way to girly for me.

 

A note on the inside of the front door so we don’t forget to turn the tree lights out when leaving the house. I’d love to keep them on so it’s lit when we get home in the evenings but worry a bit that it might catch on fire (you never know and certainly don’t want to find out the hard way) or that Mini or Bonus will suddenly find the lighted tree too interesting.

So tomorrow is Christmas Eve! Yay!