How to Add Layers in Paint.net {Tutorial from Maria @ Agape Designs}

I had posted a blog asking someone to help me with paint. I couldn’t figure out how to use the layers like I did in Gimp. The most amazing and kind person responded with help..
“who could this be?” You ask
Maria from Agape Designs. She went above and beyond to help me out.  About Maria:


How did she help me out so much??
She wrote me a whole entire tutorial to show me how to do it. She didn’t have to do that. She didn’t have to go out of her way to help me. So I thank her so much (VERY VERY much) I love blogging because I love meeting awesome people that make life so much more amazing by being a true friend, helping out as much as she can.
So Maria- I ♥ you for being awesome and you have a permanent place on my blog..
Here is the tutorial she wrote:

Paint.Net Layers Tutorial for Jess :)

Hey Jess, hope this helps... I did lots of pictures.. cause thats easiest for me to explain! :) I decided to just do a tutorial while make you a siggy.. you will find that at the bottom of the page. Pixel credit goes to Ashley at Reverie Pixels. :)
Once you open up paint.net a blank image will appear.. you will most likely want to resize it to fit what ever it is you want to create. :)
This form will pop up and you can change the size.. you can unclick "maintain aspect ratio" if you want different size or shape.
Moving on to layers:

Pick a font :)
To work in a specific layer.. click on and high lite that layer in the layer box. What ever you do/change will be applied to the blue high lighted layer.
To add something to you image.. simply click FILE in the menu bar, then OPEN and pick what you want to be working with. I opened up a pixel tube. It will open up as its own image, separate from the one you're working on. To add it into the image you're working on DO THE FOLLOWING:
After the image is selected:

You can move the 2 images around to fit it how you desire.. working in separate layers. As you can see layer 3, the image with the pixel tube is selected/high lighted, so I can move that around. If I want to move the writing around.. I would click on layer 2 in the layers box, so I could work on the "made by jess" layer.
Here I added in some mushrooms the same way I added in the pixel girl, in its own separate layer.
I want to cut away the excess area around the siggy, so i select it to fit. (I forgot to show it, but the rectangle select button is next to the point selector in the tools box)

If you think you may want to re design this in the future or make any changes, without having to re-make one.. you would click file, then save as.. and keep it saved as a pdn file.. that way it keeps the layers separate and yu can open it up in paint.net and still make changes. If you are completely done with it and dont think you will make changes then do the following:




And there you have it.. your finished product! :) I hope you like it... I am sure you know how to save this to your computer right? :)  I really hope this helped you. You just said you needed help with layers.. so i wasnt sure exactly what you knew and didnt know.. so just went through it all. LOL If you still need help.. or if I missed anything.. dont be afraid to ask! :)
~Maria Isabel

Tote Bag Tutorial {From Mrs. Sassy Crafter}

If you haven’t already visited the Sassy Crafter, you may want to. She is an awesome person with a great personality who creates and loves to share her work with all of us to see and make. Isn’t that awesome? Today she is sharing with us the awesome tote bag she made for the young girls at her church.

Friday Flip-Offs {come add your Friday rant}

I am participating in this weeks Friday Flip-off. I love venting and getting stuff out. So lets thank Gigi for being so AWESOME from Kludgy Mom

So here it goes.

To my printer/scanner: Why oh Why did you have to go into convulsions and make all those loud noises and keep telling me “CLEAR JAM” when I checked every single crevice of the machine and there is Clearly NO jam anywhere. FLIP OFF. Oh yeah, and I wish you would tell another of your printer friends to come live with me- since you managed to break down when I have NO money.

To my Phone: Why do you keep ringing right in the middle of an awesome thought? Ringing so that I can’t write it down and then when I get off you, I can’t remember what it is that I was writing, no matter how much I try? FLIP OFF

To sleepless nights: Why do you always come when least expected? When I have something very important to do the next day? Why do you do this to me? Do you want me to look like I have been on drugs? FLIP OFF. You are not amusing. No matter how hard I tried to lay my head on the pillow, the thoughts just kept racing, so why didn’t you bring me those sheep to count?

To the lady who thought I was a spammer. I am NOT a spammer. I am a mom trying to do the best I can with what I have. I am a person, trying just like everyone else. I didn’t mean to offend you because I have less followers than you. Do you realize I have only been at this since January? I was just trying to help you out and promote you in anyway that I can. FLIP OFF for  being so smart-assed to me. and for making me feel like crap. I didn’t deserve that.

To the post office- For telling me that since I LOST my key I would have to pay $25 for a new one. $25 for 1 key? Are you crazy? I’m glad I found they key in the pocket of my purse and DIDN’T lose it, so I DON’T have to pay you that $25..{haha}

That’s about all I have to rant about this week. But I love this and will be joining every week.

Hope to see you guys there..

♥Jess

More Friday Blog Hops

My five answers to the questions are:

Questions for Friday, July 9th: (Thanks to Megan, Sara, Emily, Nicole, and [inspiration from]Sarah for their question suggestions! If YOU would like to be linked in a future 5QF, just c'mon over here, to my community, and offer up your best question suggestions!)

1. What is one food you could eat everyday?

Blueberry Muffins =)

2. Are you working in the career you thought you would be when you were 18?

Yes, for the most part. I am further than what I was and I am proud of myself =)

3. What is something that you wish you would have done when you were younger and you didn't?

I wish I wouldn’t have went to online college. They don’t care about you or why you are late on an assignment (I got kicked out because I was in LABOR on the day of my finals and couldn’t complete them) and they told me they didn’t care. I was only 4 credits away from business/marketing degree.

4. What color are your kitchen walls? biege (I live in an apartment) or they would be lime green =)

5. Do you remember what your very first favorite song was? Yes- Achey Breaky Heart- I know I know (but I was 5)

♥Jess

Yay! I’ve made it! Over 100 followers

When I first started blogging, I knew I wanted to have followers that were also friends. To have people that WANTED to read, not just reading because they think they have to. I am proud to say that I have gained 104 followers in this time, and I happy to have all of you here. I am glad we have met {or have we} if not- You should come join my new linky- (it isn’t up yet) I’m not even sure what day it is going to be on, but I do know that I love getting to know you guys better, so it’s on it’s way with something new to post each week about you. This is also a way for OTHER people to learn about you. If you have a business, this would be great to show people the YOU behind the business (which I ♥)..

But I’ll update that later. I have so much to do today my head is spinning, but it’s a good kind of spinning- not the exorcism kind (although I do feel like that sometimes ☺) But who doesn’t when they have small kids that are handfuls =)

But I am also going to make a button for all of you that I ♥.. that you can place on your blog when I write about you or feature something you do, or just because you are the most awesome followers on the planet♥

gotta love em though =)

But anyway- thanks for being a friend, a follower, and a fellow blog sister.

I love each and everyone of you.

When I had 1 I was SOO excited, and NOW look at me- over 100.

Thanks again

♥ Jess

Joys of Thread {Feature}

Joys of Thread

FAST and AFFORDABLE handmade, embroidered/monogrammed items. *FREE SHIPPING *small orders done in one day, bigger done in two.

Plus- if you spend more than $25- you get a free monogrammed tote to use for yourself or the baby’s diaper bag.

- Her button

about her business- (From TweePoppets) where she is having a giveaway--!

“I started my business bc I really wanted this expensive sewing machine and my hubby said I needed to find a way to make it pay for itself...in 2 months it had! I've been sewing since I was little sewing clothes for my barbies and in high school sewing my prom dress! As an adult I always made all my own baby gifts so I thought why not sell them! Monogramming can be so expensive and I wanted to find a way to make it affordable. By not having a shop front and doing it out of my home I keep overhead costs super low. I started off with an etsy shop and when that became successful I bought a dot com and opened up my own online store!”

Her work..

awesome awesome items..

Whose Got Tutorials? THEY’ve got tutorials.♥

The Crafty Cupboard has some very awesome tutes {here} like this awesome Coloring Caddy

Hope Studios has some very awesome tutorials..

my fav?

CD holder

Made has some very awesome tutorials which my favorite includes the recycled grocery tote..

the rest of her tutorials are {here}

Design*Sponge shows us how to make this awesome notebook lunch bag 

The rest of her DIY projects {here}.

 

Ric Rac shows us how to make these adorable fabric buckets.

 

Belle & Burger shows us how to make some awesome rockin panties, {plus, I ♥ Family Guy}

Toasts shows us the Shoe Painting Tutorial

Sew Christine! shows us how to make this awesome and easy diaper bag.

ModHomeEcTeacher on Curbly shows us how to make a hangable hamper

Make numerous dolls with this tutorial from Miss Gioia

MakeBabyStuff.com shows us how to make this little rabbit..

Paint in my Hair shows us how to make some very awesome and inspiring crate covers. Spice up the organization. ☺

You can download the tutorial {here}

Victoria North on CraftStylish shows us how to decorate/organize with old thread spools..

{here}

SpinCushion shows us how to make a coupon clutch {here}

Hope you enjoy!

♥Jess

My Day Today & Tutorials, Tutorials, and more tutorials..

I have had a pretty awesome day today. Went to the grocery store. {now I can drink all the coffee I want $

and we took the kids to the park. I didn’t get any pictures because I am lazy and haven’t charged my camera after it died on the 4th. I have so much to do, but Adisyn always tries to steal my pencils {and I can never get them back} and grab the scissors , so I definitely can’t sew or write when she’s awake.

So I decided after relaxing at the park with the kids and cooking out {Yay- no dishes to wash} #

I decided to show a little love and feature some tutorials. I can’t get enough of them. I sleep, eat, and drink crafting and writing and reading and somehow now blogging. I am always thinking of things to say and ways to write things (which is GREAT) because I feel as if I am getting better at writing and my voice in the writing.

I love showing off other people’s work, because not only does it give me ideas, it lets the makers of these tutorials KNOW we appreciate them and their work and thank them for the time and commitment they give into sharing their ideas with us.

I am going to be making a button here soon for people that I feature and I will be sure to post it on here and email it to the people I have showcased already.

If you would like me to show off something you made, just let me know.

I love you guys♥

Craftaholic Anonymous has this awesome 4th of July Jello that she shows us how to make. It looks so yummy. {This is the reason the post was started anyway}..

♥

I know, I know-it’s PAST the 4th. But come’on Jello is Jello..

Jello is Awesome +

Make it & Love it has given us the tutorial to make an awesome high chair cover..{here}

Crafterhours shows us how to make this awesome cutomized scissors..

I SO want a pair. ☺

Craftiness is not optional shows us how to make this awesome ruffle bib.

Obsessively Stitching shows us this awesome tutorial on how to make a toddler bath robe out of a dish towel {here}

thelongthread shows us how to spice up an old jar with the ribbon sleeve

and for those of you trying the digital scrapbooking as I am, I want to share with you this awesome website

Free Digital Scrapbooking which show you how to choose a software, finding free trials, getting started, and more. {here}

Plus they have free fonts, kits, papers, and embellishments.

here are some of the fonts

Babycakes

New add 6/14/07

Cheri                            
New add 6/14/07

Grunge Theme - More Free Grunge Fonts

New added 2/28/06

84 Rock  by Jan Paquetteonath

New add 2/28/07

Morphing  by Eric Mynahan

New add 2/28/07

Handwriting Theme - More Free Handwriting Fonts

New added 2/28/07

aka Fribolity                   New add 2/28/07

Girls are Weird by Robot Johnny

One of my favorite tutes {here} which is how to make your own digital rick-rack. Yay. hope you like it.

♥Jess

I’m better now & a blog makeover

Thanks everyone for commenting and making me feel better.

To make myself happy, I made-over my blog.

Cute, huh?

Not like the old one, but I decided to finally transfer to the new

blogger…

anybody want a button?

It’s on the left sidebar..

Thanks to all of you 92 friends following.

Nave any comments or anything don’t be afraid to click the mail

sign @ the top and I DO respond back. I love email..

♥Jess

Molly Green Fresh {Free Ebook w/ Veggie & Fruit Recipes}

How would you love to have a free ebook?

What is this ebook?

It’s called: "Molly Green Fresh".

It is full of recipes using fresh ingredients!

download it {here}

♥Jess