Update on Downloading

4shared never responded to my emails, but I had a friend test last month and it would appear that it is possible to download from my 4shared account.  So, I am going to try to start posting again.  I wish someone had mentioned that they could download from 4shared or that 4shared could have had the courtesy to respond to my emails.

I am also on Google+ if you want to follow me there.

Computer Up, but Internet Down

I have spent the last two weeks building a new computer.  It took this long because the original hard drive that I bought was DOA and I had to send it back to Newegg.  This took a week.  I now have a computer with an operating system and no software.  I also do not have functioning internet as the wireless network card that I had with my old computer is not compatible with Windows 7.  My installation disk is for Windows XP.  I can only have internet if I steal the PowerLine adaptor from my kid's Xbox360.

I am going to try the Atheros driver that appears to show up on Google for the Belkin F5D8001 wireless card.  Here are some notes for myself:

1.  Go to
http://www.station-drivers.com/page/atheros.htm and download the
Windows Seven 32/64bits driver for the AR5008X.
2.  Unzip the file into a folder.
3.  Run the setup and install drivers.
4.  Open the device manager and select non-functioning ethernet control device (Belkin).
5.  Select Update Driver
6.  Choose “let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer”.
7.  Choose Qualcomm .
8.  Then, select the “Atheros AR5008X Wireless Network Adapter” from list.
9.  Get a warning message stating that the driver has a problem because it is not signed.
10.  Install it anyways.
11.  Reboot.

Computer is Dead

I was planning on returning to creating once I developed some free time. Unfortunately, my computer has decided to stop booting so any return to digital creativity is on an indefinite hold.

Grapeshot Alpha and Computer News

I got my new RAM today and installed it in the computer.  There was a moment of panic while my computer refused to boot and would only make beeping noises at me, but then I put the new RAM in the other slots.  I have color-coded RAM slots and I'm not sure why.  My old not so functioning RAM is still installed in the computer because the computer refuses to boot without it present, but when it is present, then the computer sees the new RAM and uses it.  I don't understand this.  Maybe somebody can explain it to me.  I'm not sure how to Google for the answer.

I'm very grateful to everyone who donated and helped me purchase this RAM.  I know that I have not been doing very much for a long time, but with the hard economic times, the donations were very small, so it quite a while to accumulate the necessary amount. Every little bit helped and now the RAM is now installed.  Hurray!

I booted up Photoshop to see if it would work without causing the computer to freeze and made this alpha as a test.  I hope people can use it.

Grapeshot Alpha

Psychedelic Nuclear Coral

My oven-baked graphics card is still working.  Here is a chipboard alpha that I made last week.  I really like it.

Nuclear Coral

Twill Ribbon Script

I have (temporarily) salvaged the broken graphics card by baking it in my oven.  I know it sounds crazy, but I read on several notebook forums that it was possible to salvage a broken graphics card by baking it on balls of aluminum foil.   I did not expect it to work, but I pre-heated my oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and then baked the graphics card for 9 minutes.  Then, I turned off the oven and left the door cracked open for 20 minutes to allow the card to slow cool.  Most people get cookies after 9 minutes.  I got a functional graphics card.  The laptop has been resuscitated and I'm using it to make this entry.

I found this twill ribbon script on my hard drive.  I have too many things that are only partially complete.  The script should work in all versions of PSP up to X3.  Please leave a comment if it doesn't.

Script

Fold a Paper in Half

I'm using my old computer with the broken RAM.  So, I still cannot take screenshots in Photoshop, but I came up with this fast and easy way to fold a paper in half in Paint Shop Pro.  This tutorial will show you how to put a crease or fold down the center of an existing piece of paper.

1.  Open up your paper in PSP.  I made this paper using my heart overlay tutorial.

2.  Go to the Blinds Effect (Effects > Texture Effects > Blinds).

3.  Apply the Blinds Effect at half the width of your paper and 50% opacity.  My paper is 3600 x 3600 so I used 1800 for my width.  The color should be black.

Width = 1800
Opacity = 50
Color = Black
Horizontal = Unchecked
Light from left/top = Checked.

4.  There is now a crease/fold exactly in the middle of the paper.  If you want the fold to go horizontally across the middle of the paper then check Horizontal in the Blinds menu.

Egg Overlay and Computer News

I made this very simple egg overlay as a teaser to get people to come and read about my computer woes.  So, about a month and a half ago, the RAM in the computer I was using started to fail.  Intermittently, it seems to stop working and my computer slows down a lot until nothing happens.  After 3 weeks, I got a hand-me-down laptop to use until I could afford to buy RAM for my original computer.  Three days ago, the graphics card in the laptop went belly up.  So, I have a very, very old laptop from 1998 or 1999 that still works.  It has 64 MB of RAM.  It can run PSP as long as the graphics are very small.  Scrap-size graphics take a long time to render.  Photoshop CS3 or CS4 does not run on that laptop.  I do not appear to have enough RAM.  Photoshop 5.5 runs, but I doubt anyone wants tutorials for Photoshop 5.5.  The upshot of all these problems is that it will be even longer until I am back to writing tutorials or doing anything else graphically-related. 

Egg Overlay

Delphinium Clipart

I have been given a hand-me-down laptop which still needs to have all my graphics software and plugins installed, but it appears to be able to run PSP9 and Photoshop.  I will be upgrading to CS4, so all my new tutorials for Photoshop will feature screenshots and instructions for the CS4 Extended version.

I found an old delphinium tube that I made for an alpha back in 2006.  I thought I would offer it up as a piece of clipart.  I made the tube from a photograph that I took at Longwood Gardens.

I hope that people can use it and I hope to be back to making designer tools soon.

Clipart

Happy Lunar New Year!

My computer is still borked.  I do not have any new creations.

This is the year of the tiger.  This is an old alpha that I made a couple of years ago.  If you want this tagger-sized alpha, you can get it here.

Conversation Hearts Alpha - Pink

I started this post three days ago, but life has been really busy and I haven't been able to finish it.  The computer is still flaky.  Sometimes it works.  Sometimes it doesn't.  It may take a month or two for me to save up enough money to buy RAM.  Sorry to all of you who like my tutorials, but there won't be any for a while.  I hope you all enjoy the last alpha in the conversation heart series.

Alpha

S.W.A.K.

The Sealed With a Kiss blog train takes off today.  Thankfully, I finished this kit before my RAM died.  I used heart templates by Delicious Scraps and scripts by PSPgirl in my kit.  I was testing some scripts for PSPgirl and decided the results looked nice enough to keep, so I added them to this kit.  My part of the train is a full-size kit containing:

• 7 papers
• 2 journalling tags
• 1 bow
• 3 glitter lips
• 1 round frame
• 1 chain of hearts
• 1 flower
• 5 hearts
• 1 wordart
• 4 alphas
  

Download Kit

Conversation Hearts Alpha - Blue

This alpha was actually made two days ago while I was trying to see if my resuscitated computer would continue to function if used with all its guts hanging out.  It is a very odd sort of life support to continue functioning while all electronic innards are outside.    I wish I knew whether one could draw on the iPad.  It is such a cool idea and I'd love an e-reader.  If I could do some graphics on it, then it would be a very nice buy.  Right now I'm doubtful that it can replace my dying computer.

Alpha

Conversation Hearts Alpha - Green

I've managed to resuscitate my computer (briefly) by running it with the case open.  I'm trying to put it through its paces to determine exactly how much failure it is actually experience.  I shudder to think that I have to replace more than just RAM.  The computer is from 2005 so I guess it is time that parts started to fail.

Alpha

Conversation Hearts Alpha - White

I made the preview for this alpha before my RAM died, so I'm posting it.

Alpha