By: Christine Candora-Hickey, Artistic Guide

Now it is time for some multiplication.  No, I'm not really going to make you put down your stamps and do math.  What fun would that be?  Instead I'm going to show you how simple it is to get 3 more sheets of designer paper from our original masterboard that we completed the other day.  By using the photo editing software that comes with most computers, we can dramatically alter the colors of our masterboard for endless possibilities.

There are lots of photo editing applications on the market today.  I do not profess to be a wizard at any of them.  I don't even claim to be proficient, which will prove to you why it really is a simple process.  Most computers today come with some kind of photo editing software, and if not, digital cameras often come with this software.  In the event that you do not have this software, there are also many free web applications that you can use.  The two that I recommend are Picnik (www.picnik.com) and Photoshop Express (www.photoshop.com).  Of those two, I find Picnik to be the most user-friendly.  Today, I will be using the software that came with my MacBook, and that is iPhoto (another user-friendly application for you Apple-heads out there!).

The feature that I like to use the most for manipulating my masterboard is color enhancement and effects.  The first thing I like to do is "enhance" the color.  This often makes the colors deepen and "pop".  Earlier this week I posted my original scanned masterboard.  Below is the masterboard that I used the enhancement on:

An ever-so-slight difference, but that one click of the mouse instantly added depth to my colors and made them pop!

From here, I like to use filters to change the color scheme.  Remember the Black & White issue that Stamper's Quest published not too long ago?  Now you can make your own paper for a theme like that.  Below is the same masterboard with a black & white filter applied:

Need something more antique looking for altered art or for use with old photographs?  How about a sepia filter:

Or maybe you are working on a Victorian-inspired project.  Something that has more of an antique, dusty feel.  There's a filter for that, too:

There you go!  Four new patterned papers from our one masterboard - and that is only the beginning!  Once you apply each filter, you can play with color levels and exposure, creating even more variations.  The possibilities truly are endless.  Now that you have some ideas on how to digitally alter your masterboard, it's time to make some art.  Print out a few sheets, try different types of paper to print on.  Enlarge or shrink.  Use as one big piece or cut it into smaller pieces.  Let's make some art!  

And for all of you who love to hoard those beautiful patterned papers because once you use them they are gone, making and using a digital masterboard will cure you of your anxiety.  Let's make art!