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Posts: 1,153Ok, Ok...you're probably all thinking...."Oh, these new kids, they always want to be big right away"...but everyone has such pretty avatars, they look like posters for a movie and mine is...wellllll...NOT!!! :(
Can someone give me a brief idea of how y'all did this?
nanc....
Miss Nancy, I thoroughly enjoy creating avatars for my friends. It's a way to practice with PhotoShop with purpose, which I otherwise cannot make excuses for.
If you send me a picture or two I'd be happy to make one for you Do tell me your preferred text, too; website, your name, etc., and any color preference or "look" you'd like me to include.
Find me at info@potbellybears.com
Country BearsHi Shelli!
When you say photoshop, which programme do you use, I'd love to try this myself!!
I'm having my PC taken to have maintenance on it tomorrow so not sure when I'll get it back, but while the boss isn't looking at work I'll catch up with you all then.............
Take care
I use Jasc Paint Shop Pro. Cost me $50 on ebay. 
Posts: 1,153Well Shelli...that would be absolutely wonderful.
Now :rolleyes:...the pressure!! What picture do I use? hummmm, it will take a bit of thinking. Should I go with yorkies or bears?
I love Scriptina...do you have that font?
AND Kirsten, I will look into the paint shop pro you bought on ebay. Geez, I never thought of ebay for something like that.
You would think I would learn!
I mean if someone could sell their cats up-chucked hairball that they said looked like Elvis for over a grand...then I should look to ebay for my every need!
Nanc.......
Clare, I keep meaning to add that I'd love to make you an avatar too, if you're interested. When I resized your picture I thought you just wanted resizing; not an avatar, per se.
To answer your question, I use the full Adobe PhotoShop, version 7.0. PhotoShop Elements, though, is almost entirely the same, with less "professional" functionality. And far less expensive, at around $100, vs. many hundreds (don't even know how many; it was a gift!) for the full version.
No pressure ladies, by the way; my feelings and identity aren't tied up in creating avatars! I just enjoy doing it, and get a rush seeing the results used (which reminds me that I keep meaning to ALSO say my feelings won't be hurt if those of you for whom I've already made an avatar want to change it at some point; I like change, myself, as evidenced by the three avatars I've had just since TEDDY TALK begain!)
I wonder if they FELTED that hairball, to increase the resemblance....!!! 
:lol::P
Posts: 1,153It was definately a manipulated hairball...but somebody loved it. 
:lol:
Fool's Gold BearsAs my eleven-year old grand-daughter would have said at age 6, "GISDUSTING!!" 
I'm saying it about manipulated hairballs, however, where she would have said it about boys. 
If it's haunted, it will get more on ebay!:P
Maybe, my next bear will "happen" to be haunted!:)
Wisdom BearsHi Shelli,
Could I ask you nicely if you could please do me an Avatar too, You can see the mess I made trying to do one I don't have photo shop, but I am still learning the computer.
Hugs Rita xxx
Wisdom BearsShelli, Is the photo-shop programme you use very expensive ,and can it be used for other things too. Hugs Rita xx
Rita, yes, send me a photo (info@potbellybears.com)
Tell me your color preferences and your full name and your website URL so I can include it. Also, let me know if there's a "look" you're after -- modern, geometric shapes, cottage garden, old west, desert, denim, vintage/antique, victorian, whatever.
And yes, my program is very expensive. It's the one professionals use. I came home one day and it was on my desktop, a gift from my husband. I just Googled it at a "compare-prices" site (http://reviews.cnet.com/Adobe_Photoshop … 18085.html) and it appears to begin at about $375 and go up from there.
You don't need PhotoShop 7.0 to make these avatars, though. I don't have familiarity with the other programs (Jasc, etc.) but I'm sure they offer similar functionality to the Adobe products.
Adobe PhotoShop Elements (I think they're on version 3.0 with this; Laura, can you confirm?), which is a more "compact" version of 7.0 and more user-friendly, for the non-design professional, costs significantly less, at around $100.
It has all the functionality you'd probably ever want for web and design purposes.
I used PhotoShop to design my 1/4 page ad for the current "voting" issue of Teddy Bear Review, which I am DYING to see in print (mine comes two weeks after everyone else gets theirs; maddening, that. Has anyone seen it yet?) I think the program did a great job with the ad but I believe you could have made the same ad using Elements. I've looked at some of the Elements "how-to" books and the description of how to do certain effects is EXACTLY the same as it would be in using the full PhotoShop 7.0 program.
Anyway, rambling on here... hope this helps.
Oh, and please remember that of my small handful of very, very best girlfriends, I am unusually blessed to have two of them -- and one of their husbands, so three people in total -- working full time as graphic design professionals, including marketing and branding and business planning strategy work in their spectrum of skills. So I have a very, very friendly and accessible place to jot a quick e-mail or make a quick call, any time I have a question that needs answering.
There are also so, so, so, so, so (I can't put enough "so's" in there) many tutorital sites on the web for special effects you might like to try, but it's very laborious to sift through them. The tutorials themselves, though, are usually very to the point and spectacularly easy to use. So that's a good place to go with questions too... as are the digital scrapbooking sites, which also often contain tutorials on the various design packages, often divided up by program (PhotoShop tutorials HERE... Jasc tutorials HERE... etc.)
Oh, and both PhotoShop and PhotoShop Elements are wonderful for photo editing. Lots of options for color correction, brightness/contrast, desaturating (changing to black and white), etc. I think you get this functionality in most of the photo editing/design programs!
Shelli - you are so kind to make these for people. I've tried photoshop and its TOO good and extensive, elementa is much more my level!
Rita and others that want their own avatars, and want to make their own some day.
I would recommend trying the trial version of a program first.
Here's the free trial for the program I use
http://www.corel.com/servlet/Satellite? … 92&lang=en
And if SHelli is TOO busy making award winning bears, I'd also be willing to make you a avatar or help others make a avatar
Winneybears and FriendsRita, yes, send me a photo (info@potbellybears.com)
Tell me your color preferences and your full name and your website URL so I can include it. Also, let me know if there's a "look" you're after -- modern, geometric shapes, cottage garden, old west, desert, denim, vintage/antique, victorian, whatever.
And yes, my program is very expensive. It's the one professionals use. I came home one day and it was on my desktop, a gift from my husband. I just Googled it at a "compare-prices" site (http://reviews.cnet.com/Adobe_Photoshop … 18085.html) and it appears to begin at about $375 and go up from there.
You don't need PhotoShop 7.0 to make these avatars, though. I don't have familiarity with the other programs (Jasc, etc.) but I'm sure they offer similar functionality to the Adobe products.
Adobe PhotoShop Elements (I think they're on version 3.0 with this; Laura, can you confirm?), which is a more "compact" version of 7.0 and more user-friendly, for the non-design professional, costs significantly less, at around $100.
It has all the functionality you'd probably ever want for web and design purposes.
I used PhotoShop to design my 1/4 page ad for the current "voting" issue of Teddy Bear Review, which I am DYING to see in print (mine comes two weeks after everyone else gets theirs; maddening, that. Has anyone seen it yet?) I think the program did a great job with the ad but I believe you could have made the same ad using Elements. I've looked at some of the Elements "how-to" books and the description of how to do certain effects is EXACTLY the same as it would be in using the full PhotoShop 7.0 program.
Anyway, rambling on here... hope this helps.
Oh, and please remember that of my small handful of very, very best girlfriends, I am unusually blessed to have two of them -- and one of their husbands, so three people in total -- working full time as graphic design professionals, including marketing and branding and business planning strategy work in their spectrum of skills. So I have a very, very friendly and accessible place to jot a quick e-mail or make a quick call, any time I have a question that needs answering.
There are also so, so, so, so, so (I can't put enough "so's" in there) many tutorital sites on the web for special effects you might like to try, but it's very laborious to sift through them. The tutorials themselves, though, are usually very to the point and spectacularly easy to use. So that's a good place to go with questions too... as are the digital scrapbooking sites, which also often contain tutorials on the various design packages, often divided up by program (PhotoShop tutorials HERE... Jasc tutorials HERE... etc.)
Winneybears and FriendsWell...I sure did that wrong ...I ment to only quote that part in the box..he, he...I am interested in a good basic photo shop program. I have some software that came with my Fuji camera and another for Family Tree Maker.. and yet another that came with my Epson cheapie scanner... I do use the Fuji program right now ...Winney
I was re-reading my posts, and I wanted to clarify.:|
I love the avatars Shelli makes and you are lucky to have one made by her. I would also be willing to help others. I personally like to learn how to do something, and am glad you ladies are interested in the programs available.
I'm afraid I sounded kinda pushy about my progam I use vs. Shelli's, but its not personal. We are both familar with different programs. Sounds like both are $100 or under. I use waht I use because I tried a free trail and it made sense to me, so I use that program. (if my hubby surprised me with photoshop, I might use that program :P)
Posts: 3,177Hi Kirsten
Would you like to make an Avatar for me?
I'd really like to see what these sooper-dooper-flipper-dipper software packages can do
I may buy one myself but i'm always put off by the price - i can never be sure that i would use it enough to warrent spending the cost of a weekend in Paris
Penny:D
Adobe PhotoShop Elements (I think they're on version 3.0 with this; Laura, can you confirm?), which is a more "compact" version of 7.0 and more user-friendly, for the non-design professional, costs significantly less, at around $100.
HI Shelli!
Yep, I think they're on version 3.0 (I still have 1.0) and it's still under $100. I got the first Elements for $70 when it came out. I know it can do SO much more than I know how... just don't have time to figure it all out! But I got "The Digital Photographer's Guide to Photoshop Elements" by Barry Beckham and WOW!!! All of a sudden I could really start using the program! The Adobe instructions are pretty confusing unless you are one of those "techie" type people. The book (about $30) explains it in "regular people" language.
Of course Penny, :)
I just need some info from you. Send me what you want it to say and your pic and I'll get righton it!
kristeria@gmail.com
Posts: 3,177You are a STAR Kirsten
I'll email all the info to you tomorrow as it's getting late here and i'm 'knackered' - translation: worn out!
Thanks a bunch :D
Penny
Wisdom BearsHi everyone, Hope you like my very posh Avatar, courtesy of Shelli. She reigns supreme,I would just like to say a very big Thank-you Shelli. I love it so much, you have made a great job. Big Grateful Hugs Rita xx
C.W. Huggley BearsLove your new avatar Rita! Beary Awesome!!!!
Delartful BearsOooh my, that avatar is soo pretty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
