OH NOES! WHAT THE HECK, LJ? (aka SisterRed muffed up again)

[red_satin_doll]

This morning I marked 5 comments in my inbox to be deleted - and LJ deleted 900.

???????????????????

Granted that solves my problem of having 900+ entries in my inbox but that wasn't what I wanted it to do! That 900 included some lovely recent PM's & conversation from y'all I'd been saving on purpose, birthday listings, how-to advice. In fact it deleted EVERYTHING except stuff I'd red flagged as "important" - about 21 comments.

(ok so maybe the fault isn't with LJ; maybe I clicked on a box that said "delete all" without paying proper attention. I am woman enough to admit it. albeit in small font.)

Damnity damnity damn damn it.

Comments

[clockwork-hart1.livejournal.com]

Holy shit, batman! This is not good.

I wish I had better computer knowledge, but i really don't know how to recover stuff like that (we don't have a "deleted" box on LJ, huh? It's a helpful little device for when we fucketh upeth)

Damn. Sorry. I offer cake, tea and sympathy

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Damn. Sorry. I offer cake, tea and sympathy

Tea, cake and sympathy are always cheerfully and gratefully accepted, ma'am!

[velvetwhip.livejournal.com]

EEEEEEK! Oh to the no! You have my deepest sympathy because that sucks dead bears!


Gabrielle

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

because that sucks dead bears!

WHOA - now that sounds a LOT more painful than losing 900 replies - really puts things into perspective! *snicker*

[beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com]

Ouch. That's awful.

Have you tried contacting LJ support? I'm thinking maybe, just maybe, they have some way of restoring deleted comments...

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Have you tried contacting LJ support? I'm thinking maybe, just maybe, they have some way of restoring deleted comments..

And suddenly I imagined the world imploding - and laughed my ass off.

I could try to contact them but I don't expect much And honestly? maybe it's not so awful? Maybe I just needed to let all that stuff go? IDK

[chasingdemons.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry! I hope somehow you are able to retrieve it. How does one get 900 entries?? *mind boggles*

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Um, the same way one gets 800+ icons? by being a ADD-addled spaz with depression and epilepsy who talks to much and then can't keep up with the responses, but feels guilty about deleting anything I haven't responded to? (So, also a touch of a pack rat.)

Which makes me sound weirder than even I think I am. Hmmm...

Oh, may I ask you a really good source for a beginner to learn how to do layers? Kwritten said ipiccy's similar to PS in that regard and she had experience with PS but I don't, so when I look up how to do layers the tutorials I see online are already above my head (vector mask? WTF?) or all use PC's which don't have the same menus. I'm starting to feel super-frustrated because I have ideas for art I want to do and can't yet. I need hand-holding, any ideas pretty please?

[chasingdemons.livejournal.com]

I looked on the instructions at Ipiccy and it looks doable. Do you use an Apple computer rather than a PC?

I looked on youtube and found a video about cutting out images here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVMNPYWwIDo

I searched for Ipiccy layers. I kind of get it. Don't let the term vector mask throw you. It is just a way of starting with some random shape like a circle and then configuring it to fit the shape you want to cut out.

How did you get that rose in the picture that you put over Buffy's face? Because you must have had 2 layers there, right?

Or here's a tutorial about adding a logo. That's using 2 pictures to create 2 layers.

http://ipiccy.com/help/how-to-add-logo-and-text

I'm going to get on Ipiccy and see for myself

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Oh thanks sweetie you are THE BEST! *hugs you* I really appreciate you doing this. And yes I do have a Mac. I'll take a look at those tutorials the first thing in the morning. because I have no experience with layers I just don't know where to begin.

How did you get that rose in the picture that you put over Buffy's face? Because you must have had 2 layers there, right?

Actually no, I went into Textures and the Own Textures option to chose the rose photo from my computer. I did the same thing with the Buffy/Spike images with a rose for debris4spike's bday gift, and also this:



I used the image of The First as Buffy from Sleeper as a "texture" behind the image of Buffy in Faith's dream. (I was just lucky I think that it aligned correctly.) It's no different to using a photo of a pattern inside a yogurt jar:


So using images as textures has been my way of "cheating" but it obviously has limits. For instance, if I want to do more than two images in a single picture, or I want to cut out part of an image.

[chasingdemons.livejournal.com]

I did see something on YouTube about being able to cut out part of an image, but I didn't try that. Do you want me to see what I can do with that?

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Do you want me to see what I can do with that?

My goodness if you're up for it sweetie I won't say no! You're a doll. *hugs*

Oh something just occured to me...

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Or here's a tutorial about adding a logo. That's using 2 pictures to create 2 layers.

I don't know why I'm so slow on the draw - but this is basically how icon awards banners are created, isn't it?

Re: Oh something just occured to me...

[chasingdemons.livejournal.com]

Well the point was that another layer was being added. Doesn't really matter if it is a background and a logo or two images. It's just about merging two different pics. That was the point I was making.

But yes, it is most likely how icon awards banners are created.

Re: Oh something just occured to me...

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Right, exactly - but it took me a little bit for my brain to start to process what I'd seen and begin to think about how it could be applied. Thank you again!

I finally watched the first vid you linked me to about cutting out an object (thank you, very helpful) and found and Australian lady who does all sorts of useful ipiccy tutorials as well.

[chasingdemons.livejournal.com]

Okay, I see what's going on here… I think. I got into Ipiccy and played around with it a little. So when you click on the "layers" icon, it lets you drag a few different images into the same space. You can use the "fade" slider to make a layer more transparent (which I referred to as opacity). You can make one layer be on top and the other layer below, etc., etc. So while you are working with all those different images and moving them around, they are layers. But the difference between Ipiccy and Photoshop is that in Photoshop, they stay separate layers until I specifically merge them. I can move them around or change them individually at will forever. But with Ipiccy, once you get things where you want them, and then you want to go somewhere else, like to make a background or use the editing tool, etc., Ipiccy makes you combine them permanently into your image so that they are no longer separate layers. Otherwise it won't let you move to a different function.

From what I see, you can't have layers, at least not permanently. Every time you go to a different icon, it makes you permanently merge all the layers into one image. I even tried uploading a texture and putting it into the picture, but when I wanted to some other tool, it made me merge everything.

Now - if you can point me in the direction of a tutorial that tells how you can have layers, give me a link. I will read it and see if there is something I missed.

It looks like a fun program! But that's a big difference I see between Ipiccy and Photoshop. With Ipiccy, you pretty much have to get things arranged the way you want them and then that's where they're going to be. With Photoshop you can keep moving things around or putting one image on top of another forever. But I would not want to give you bad information, so show me the tutorial that talks about layers, and I will read through it!

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Whoa you are FAST!

But I would not want to give you bad information, so show me the tutorial that talks about layers, and I will read through it!

I can't say I have one at the moment. There's almost zero info on ipiccy.

[chasingdemons.livejournal.com]

Well now that I have the program, if you ask me a specific question, I can probably answer it. You can drag 2 different pictures into your image if that might be easier than making one be the texture. If you click on the layer icon and then click on the icon that says "add photo".

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

You can drag 2 different pictures into your image if that might be easier than making one be the texture. If you click on the layer icon and then click on the icon that says "add photo".

That's already above my head *lol*. I think i need to get some sleep and play with this tomorrow so then I can ask specific questions - quite possibly write a list.

Thanks so much sweetie. *more hugs*

[chasingdemons.livejournal.com]

Here is a very simple explanation... with pictures!!

http://ipiccy.com/help/how-to-add-logo-and-text

The sky and the logo could be any images, and you could have more than two images. Then you arrange them how you like, and do a few things, but at the end, you HAVE to merge them. So you loose the ability to edit each layer separately.

Hope this helps!

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Oh thanks! That's pretty much what I did with the images here:
http://red-satin-doll.livejournal.com/47629.html?thread=1538829#t1538829

except I was basing it off your suggestions, but I pretty much got it the jist. And damn it seems like a lot of work but I'm sure it'll get easier, thank you for all your help, Teach!

ME AGAIN

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Ok, I didn't find a tutorial but I looked at your replies and dove into the deep end, and came up with this - which is frankly NOT GOOD but it's got three layers and I learned some stuff:



ETA: larger version (I still need to master that bit)


It was actually finished in Photobucket for the "sage" effect which gave it a lighter, pinker quality that I liked and evened out the image a bit, and the simple frame.

One thing I learned is I have to think a little differently when planning which image is the "background" then when I'm using the texture function; and that I have some control of color etc in layers but it helps to do some adjustments beforehand. Also if the images are going to overlap and one goes beyond the edge of the background I need to crop or adjust it so it doesn't do that.

But that's a big difference I see between Ipiccy and Photoshop. With Ipiccy, you pretty much have to get things arranged the way you want them and then that's where they're going to be. With Photoshop you can keep moving things around or putting one image on top of another forever.

Kwritten also warned me about that but I didn't understand what she was saying at the time. Now I do.

And oh boy do I have a lot of practicing to do to get anything decent. *lol*

Re: ME AGAIN

[chasingdemons.livejournal.com]

Well, I'd say you have progressed because you are planning and thinking a little differently. I guess you could get each image all gussied up individually, and then combine them into one picture. Yes, that's a big difference with Photoshop, because I tweak until the last minute.

It's a great program and you are doing some fabulous work on it.

Re: ME AGAIN

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Yes, that's a big difference with Photoshop, because I tweak until the last minute.</i. I bet that would suit me just fine because I'm constantly adjusting things. Sometimes after I need to leave off! Learning to plan however is definitely something I could use! And THANK YOU again so much for all your help and guidance, you've been incredibly kind and patient. *HUGS*

[eilowyn.livejournal.com]

Could everything be saved in your email? Try searching "livejournal" and see if anything comes up. I've found ancient comments and pms saved in my mail account.

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

No I don't have things copied to my email - I did at first and changed the settings because it was too much stuff in my email inbox. In a way though maybe it's a relief? All that stuff filling my inbox and me feeling anxious about it. Maybe this will open up some mental space (said the fox as she sulked away from the vinyard.)

[eilowyn.livejournal.com]

I read a fic that talked about the fable of the fox and the grapes recently - it was about Harry Potter being a little bitch to Hermione because she loved Draco. At least I think that's what it was about? I've gorged myself on fan fic recently and everything's a blur now. Yeah, I know. Really off topic.

Oh, and you know what I realized? With Community coming to Yahoo, you'll be able to watch season 6 with me!

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Coolness! (now how do I catch up on the other five seasons?)

[eilowyn.livejournal.com]

I have . . . ways you could catch up. PM me and I'll throw some ideas around.

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

I'll toss you a message in the morning! So past my bedtime right now.

[snogged.livejournal.com]

That sucks balls.
*hugs*

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

What kind of balls? Fish balls? Grizzly bear balls? Beach balls? Size does matter you know.
(I could go all day with this. *lol*)

*HUGS YOU BACK*

Thanks sweetie!

[zodiac-sign.livejournal.com]

Yikes! But on the bright side, I thought I was the only one who saved comments :P

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Well then I don't feel so alone anymore either, yay for mutual eccentricity! (Or inability to organize, whichever.)