Finally figured what all this clipping mask stuff was about. You have no idea how hard I was making the whole process of using templates. I was pasting into and having to fiddle the sizes like crazy. So, point being, now I fully grok all those shades of gray .psd templates floating around on the inter-webs. :)

So what you see here, is creating my own clipping masks from basic shapes, using expand for the matting and copying and clipping photo three times. I never once moved the photo or cut it out. For those of you are PS wizards, well, you are saying so what. Well, trust me when I tell you I was doing it the hard way before. PS Hero’s Birth Announcement Tutorial really nailed the concept for me. Others just seemed to gloss over that part. Thanks, PS Hero!

Also, the cmd-0 thingy is awesome. I use that 100x a PS now! Whoo hoo!

Yes, there are all kinds of issues with kerning of the word BOY, but one thing at a time, please.

(Credits: Blue school paper: cottagearts.net, paper bag style: Misty Cato’s Style files, scrapbook-elements.com)