[Cropalot]

I am fascinated by Pocket Life. I have gotten the free kits for January and February, and bought the Pocket LIfe Templates; but since I work with 8x10 pages for my books, I have not had any luck using them. I have tried adapting the 12x12 templates, but it hasn't worked. I get frustrated and go back to my old ways. Does anyone have any advice for me? ... Besides going back to 12x12 pages.

[mimes1]

HI Lou Ann, There are several things you can do. You could open your 8x10 layout, then open one of the larger templates. Lock all the template layers together and then duplicate them onto your 8 x 10. Then just resize them to fit within your workspace. Then use your pocket life as you normally would. You would have to make them all smaller too.

Or you could just use the pocket life without a template and place them around your page in a pleasing manner that you like. Really there is no right or wrong - that you like it is most important.

Or you could use ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Resize it, designed by Syndee Nuckles, Scrap Girls, LLC digital scrapbooking product designer. You can make your layout in the template size then use this to make it 8x10.

One neat thing that I do with the new pocket life cards is to print them and use them for lunch box notes for my kids or just a quick thank you note.

Hope this helps!

[Sara Arell]

I like using them within my layouts! They can act as a kind of "embellishment" for your page really - I like using them in place of yet another photo, a space filler, or even have used them and put a photo on them in my layouts. They are so versatile and have so many uses once you get started with them. Like Amy said, there is no right or wrong - just have fun with them!

[Cropalot]

Thank you girls. I was looking for a way to make a quick and simple layout. The 'resize it' sounds like a good solution. I'll look into that. And of course I can always use the 'embellishments' creatively like we always have here at Scrapgirls.

[Cheri T]

The 8.5x11 inch Pocket Life templates might be easier for you to adapt to your 8x10 size. And as Amy said, the 3x4 and 4x6 Pocket Life cards would just need to be sized smaller to fit the template then.
I love how there are so many of us using different sizes of pages - we're all unique and it's all good:)

[BarbaraC1977]

I just purchased Cheri's 8.5x11 Pocket Life page protectors, and you can work with these, too. Combining a pocket protector with Elisha's Life Keeping 2 pocket life cards, just as an example:
 CTH_DigiPocketProtector_8x11_SSEmb_4_600.jpg (302.87K)
Number of downloads: 5
Elisha's 4x6 cards scaled almost perfectly to the large slots on this template, and the 3x4's scale just about perfectly to the smaller slots. Similarly on this template:

Note: I've rotated Cheri's templates 90 degrees. Then I put the colored rectangles under the almost transparent pocket protectors to help me see the slots, and numbered them to help me place photos and cards in the right "slots." I like to try different things to see if it makes things go faster for me.

Attached File(s)

•  CTH_DigiPocketProtector_8x11_SSEmb_5_600.jpg (221.87K)
  Number of downloads: 4

[Cropalot]

Good ideas. I had looked for different sizes and didn't find them. I'll look again. Thanks.

[BarbaraC1977]

Another idea, Marlene has created ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Plastic Pockets 4x6 sized for Pocket Life cards. Place the Pocket Life Cards into a pocket, and then scale them together to place on a layout that's 8x10. She also made Plastic Pockets 3x4. Hope this helps.

[Cropalot]

I think I'm just overwhelmed by the whole resizing problem. I've adjusted well when doing individual items, but templates, etc are still difficult for me. I just finished resizing one of Angie's album PSDs from her Falling 4 Him collection. It was not really difficult, but still time consuming. Does anyone have a quick trick for it? Until I get that down, I'll probably not spend a lot of energy with that. I may just try the templates sold for the 8x11... pages, although they don't seem to have as many different 'pockets', and I like the look of stitches between the pockets.

[Cheri T]

Here are my resizing tricks:
Open the template you want to resize. Open a new document in the correct size, so for you, 8x10. On the original template file, click on the top layer in the layers palette, then press and hold shift while clicking on the bottom layer in the palette. Now ALL the layers should be highlighted. Select the move tool, and with shift held down again, drag them into your new document. (Holding shift down will make sure they go directly in the center of your document - in just the right places). Close the original template file now to avoid accidentally saving over it. Save your new document before you forget and lose your work (I hate when PS/PSE crashes!).

Next, scroll out a little so you can see the edges to grab and resize - I do this by pressing control/minus. Click and drag all the layers (they should still all be highlighted - if not, shift and click on the top and bottom layers again to get them highlighted) smaller until they just fit in your space. There will be a little space since you're doing 8x10 instead of 8.5x11. If there's nothing that matters if it gets distorted (eg rectangles, or squares that you don't mind if they become rectangles as you drag them out in one direction), then take your finger off the shift key (which constrains the proportions) and click either the top center or right or left center box and drag out/in until the template pieces fit EXACTLY in your window. If there is something that you want the proportions constrained on, eg a circle....then when you have all the layers highlighted, control/click on that layer in the layers palette to UNhighlight it. Resize the others, then go back to the circle layer and make it smaller using the shift key as always to constrain the proportions while resizing.

Let me know if you have any other questions!

[Cheri T]

Pocket Life items in the boutique Here's the direct link to the Pocket Life section of the boutique - both Elisha and I have templates in 8.5x11 size that could pretty easily (with a tidbit of work;) be converted to 8x10.

[BarbaraC1977]

LouAnn, I hear you! I resize almost all the JIFFY Album layouts we get in the Scrap Girls Club. What software are you using? In Photoshop, I've created little tiny, single-purpose actions to help me.

When I resize 12x12 to 8.5x11, I click an action that reduces the layout from 3600 px sq to 3300 px (you'd use 3000.) Then I use another action to draw guidelines on my layout at 2550 px horizontally (8.5") and 1/2" in from all four sides (150px H & V, 2400px H and 3150 px V) that help me "mind the edges" when I place things. I group items that are related, such as the parts of a cluster, and move them as a unit, and/or resize to appr 85 - 90% (For 8x10, I'd use 80-85%.) I've saved actions for 95% of whatever is selected, 90%, 75%, 66% and 50%.

The hardest thing are the papers with borders around the perimeter. For these, I duplicate them, and use layer masks to erase part, and blend them together. I did a tutorial on that which appeared in the newsletter that a long time ago: http://scrapgirls.co...1_Sat_Life.htm.

I'm hoping one of our designers (I've spoken to one a while back) will create a set of actions for sale that do things like the above actions, as I think they'd be helpful for lots of scrappers. I could package the actions, but I don't have the "chops" to be a designer myself.

[Cropalot]

Thank you Cheryl. That is about how I do it, but have trouble with keeping it together....with the shift key. I guess over time with practice, that wouldn't seem like such a chore.
I just simplified my size. I actually make my pages 3324 px x 2575 px. I don't even know what that translates to, I just know they fit on the pages at My Publisher...where I've made close to 30 books.
I'll check your templates.

[Cropalot]

Barbara. That is impressive. I'm just a PSE 11 girl. I would like actions that do that...although, I think I need to get PSE 12 before I purchase any more actions. I'm not sure I have any of mine working right now.

[BarbaraC1977]

LouAnn, I use My Publisher also, and LOVE their book quality. I haven't made nearly as many as you have. I create 8.5x11 layouts, and only a teensy bit gets clipped on My Publisher. It's very close to what you're using, mine are 2550 x 3300px. Since I avoid the out 1/4" for critical text or other content, it works for me.

In older versions of PSE, you don't have to hold the shift key to maintain proportions when you resize. It took me a long time to adapt to that extra requirement in PS. It sounds like that has changed.

My mother always said it took either a very smart or very lazy person to come up with easy ways to do hard jobs. I'll take credit for lazy and somewhat smart!

[Cropalot]

I am happy to know you use My Publisher as well. They are great.

I was having the same trouble with the clipping of my pages with My Publisher, but only after I had made several books. Anyway, they told me if I made them 3324px x 2575 px they would fit perfectly. It isn't any harder to do that, so I switched. There is no need for alterations when I drop in each page.

I sure do like shortcuts. I always attributed that to being a mother of 6... But I do remember my mother saying that I always carried a 'lazy man's load'...one that was way to heavy, but it avoided a second trip.

I'd love to see one of your books some time. You don't live anywhere near Ohio, do you?

[momvetkat]

I have a somewhat new question about Pocket Life. I recently bought some items in the boutique and got a March Pocket Life as a freebie-- I don't get it - are there special pages with little pockets that you put the various photos and embellishments in? If so, where do you purchase them? I really wanted to do the yearlong challenge (forget what it's called) this year but didn't start because 1) I don't think I have the time to do such a page each week and 2) as empty nesters, we don't have that much going on - work, rest from work. Oh and 3) I'm not a very good photographer. But the Pocket Life concept intrigues me... please if this thread hasn't run it's course, please explain! />