As a new user, taste_is_sweet requested a Photoshop tutorial on the techniques I used to create my Detour To Bethlehem manips. Although I'm still taking baby steps when it comes to the many tools available in the Photoshop Elements, I'm happy to share what I've learned so far. I hope that some of it will translate across to other programs. Note: Keeping in mind this is for a new user, I'm likely to go into details some may think are no-brainers.

( Here There Be Very Many Detailed Steps )

While writing Conjugating Amore, not the first fic where I've used a foreign language, it occurred to me once again how annoying it is to have to wait until the end for a translation. This also applies to a story like Destiny Wears A Disguise with its historical references or Do You Believe In Magic? with its circus terminology.

Now, if I write the scene well enough, the reader should be able to deduce the meaning of the words without a dictionary or Babelfish, but I decided there had to be a better way. Then it struck me how useful I find the tool tips that pop up when I hover over icons and buttons.

A few minutes in Google and I had what I needed to add the English translation when you hover over the italicized Italian in my latest story (won't be going back to add them in the older stories).

Example: Hover over this and it should say, Hello World.

For anyone interested, the syntax is:


<span title="text to display on hover">original text</span>

So you've found the greatest icon(userpic) or picture ever on LJ and you want to add it to your icon collection or make the picture an icon?

First: Be a good fen and never take an icon, picture or manip without asking first, or saying 'Thank You' when they're offered for download and acknowledge the icon/picture source in the comments.

The following instructions assume Windows and IE6.0 or above. Other OS and browser commands may vary.
( Instructions )

Is it sometimes difficult viewing journal and/or comment pages in certain personal layouts? Those hard-to-read large background images, over-bright colours, tiny text, etc. that plague old, wornout eyes? Then this is for you!

( Instructions )