Remember the altered photo of parrot tulips I used for the padfolio project? Here is it again, with some of the color changed to purple. It was fun and easy to do using the Replace Color feature in Photoshop/Photoshop Elements.

It has been printed on fabric and is just waiting to be stitched!


This is the way it looked after altering using the pebbles Displacement Map (#8 on the CD in the back of Next Steps In Altered Photo Artistry) + watercolor + poster edges.


This is the original photo—just a snapshot taken in the gardens across from the courthouse here in Fort Wayne.

Let me know if you're interested and I'll prepare a tutorial on Replace Color!

I am now the proud owner of a bright and colorful padfolio. Step-by-step instructions are available in the newest newsletter from The Quilt Show with Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims AND on C&T Publishing's blog this weekend. This is to celebrate the release of my new book Next Steps In Altered Photo Artistry.



The padfolio outside features an altered photo (what else?), printed on fabric, and heavily stitched with free-motion stitching, using lots of glorious threads. Inside is a 5" x 8" junior legal pad. The whole padfolio fits neatly into my purse!

The photo is altered using one of our exclusive displacement maps that are on the CD inside the back cover of the book. In my opinion, displacement maps are the best-kept secret of Photoshop and Photoshop Elements! This alteration included multiple applications of the same displacement map, until the image was quite abstract. The final touch was applied with an artistic filter to define the edges.

By the time the image was wrapped around the notepad, the effect is quite abstract—just what I was going for!


This is the photo before altering. I took it in the garden next to the courthouse in my home town this spring and have been saving it for something special. Since I won't be traveling to Houston for the book's release at Quilt Market, this cheers me up and helps me focus on paperwork this weekend.


Inside is a pocket for pens (on the left), the notepad in the center, and the flap on the right. Because of the shape of the flap, it required two Velcro dots to keep it flat while closed.

Inside the padfolio rust-dyed fabrics add depth, interest, and variety. You can see the pocket on the left has a scripture verse printed on the fabric.

This is the cover of my new book, which will be released in October. I'm so excited! The cover shows the before photo and the after piece printed on fabric and stitched with free-motion stitching.

The cover piece is mounted on a canvas and the design extends to the edges (and around the edges) with paint. I'm not a painter. I'm not kidding myself, but this is really a cool way to enhance the look of the stitched piece and make it larger without adding a lot of complex finishing.

I'll be giving a few copies away in September and October, so stay tuned!