Reblog: Embellishing a Wordle

In another post I shared how to create your word design in Wordle. Today I am going to share a few quick tips on embellishing those words to create a fun Christmas Card design.

So to start we have Words on a White Background The first thing we need to do is get those words separated from the background. Your image will often import as a locked background layer. To fix this, double click on the layer and click ok to make it a normal layer.

Next, select your Magic Wand Tool,   and click on the white background. If you have words that have inside areas, such as P, A, etc. hold your shift key down while clicking in the interior areas of those letter so that all the white background behind the text is selected. Press your delete key. Press CTRL + D (CMD+D on Mac) to deselect. Go back and delete anything you missed.

Alternatively, if you are working in Photoshop, you can choose Select>Color Range and then use the eyedropper tool to choose your white background. Hit Delete on your keyboard and the CTRL+D or CDM + D on Mac to deselect. This will actually remove all the white, even the areas inside the closed letters like A, P, etc.

 

You should now have text on a transparent background.
In order to see what you are working with, I recommend adding a white fill layer. Choose Layer > New Fill Layer and then use your eyedropper tool to select a white fill layer. Move this layer to the bottom of your layers palette.

Next, find a texture or pattern and move it to your document, with the pattern layer just over the white fill layer. In my example I used Michelle Coleman's Photo Alchemy Pattern #2 (available here). You can play with the blending modes and opacity to achieve the effect you want. In this example the blending mode is normal and the opacity is 31%.

 
To add a finishing touch, add a fun border or brush. I used the Damask Transparency from the collaboration kit, In Good Company by Leora Sanford and Paislee Press. I resized and rotated it using CTRL+T (CMD+T on Mac) and then placed it as a border. Next I duplicated it by pressing CTRL+J (CMD+J on Mac) and moving it up as a border on the top of the card.

 Last but not least, I saved the design as a photo and uploaded it to Shutterfly's website, using it as the focal photo in one of their simple pre-made templates. I added our family vacation photo as the secondary photo inside the card, added a custom message and voila my cards were done! I would share the final card with you, but it would ruin the surprise for friends and family on our Christmas card list who read this blog.

Bottom Line it was Simple and Easy - as all Christmas cards should be. So, please share, what are you doing for YOUR Christmas Cards? We can't wait to hear!